A Night in Heaven
by Cocoaeyes
Summary: Goten and Trunks decide to let loose at a popular West City nightclub. Marron plans to join and brings along a friend. But they're in for more than they know. The timeline is parallel to DBGT and ends shortly after.
1. Background

**Background:**

I've been a lurker on this website for years and have loved several stories, mostly Dragon Ball Z/GT related. I've had this idea for a love triangle between Goten, Trunks, and Paresu and have finally decided to write it. While my goal is to update once a week, forgive me if I am sometimes slow to upload. I do have the entire rest of this fic outlined, as well as a skeleton outline for the eventual sequel.

For the sake of this story, I am using the Funimation Dub timeline that takes place ten years after the end of Z. There will be some changes when I mention specific episodes or storylines, but nothing major. Think minor dialogue updates or a headcanon into what I think a character may be feeling. After all, it is a story :)

* * *

 **Characters and Ages (start of fic):**

 **Goten Son:** 27 years old, personal trainer and self described "chick magnet."

 **Trunks Briefs:** 28 years old, newly appointed CEO of Capsule Corp.

 **Marron Chestnut:** 23 years old, Marron was an assistant dresser to the designer Mizumaki. Marron studied makeup art in school and eventually pursues her dreams.

 **Paresu Amaguri:** 25 years old, a supermodel employed by Sayuri Mizumaki and love interest for Goten & Trunks.

* * *

 **Minor/Mentioned Characters :**

 **Bulma Briefs:** Trunks' mom, at a little over 60 (she insists 55), she is training her son to take over Capsule Corp so that she may retire.

 **Cocoa Amaguri-Hikari (DBS):** 34 years old, she is Paresu's older sister and an actress. She's married to a man named Pigero and has two young daughters.

 **Gohan Son:** 38 years old, Gohan is Goten's older brother, a professor at Orange Star University. He is married to Videl Satan and is Pan's father.

 **Goku Son:** 58 years old, Goku is the father of Gohan and Goten. Like the GT storyline, he was wished back to the size of a child

 **Mai:** Physically 27, Mai is Trunks' ex-girlfriend. In this fic, she retains her youth as in Dragon Ball Super, but still hangs with the Pilaf gang at times.

 **Pan Son:** 14 years old, a tomboy who takes her uncle's place on the Black Dragon Ball search.

 **Sayuri Mizumaki:** Head of her own fashion line, Mizumaki is a former model and designer who employs Paresu and Marron.


	2. Chapter 1 - Pregaming

Trunks Briefs sat at the mahogany desk, eyes roaming over the stacks of papers that were beginning to pile up. On the opposite side of the desk, pacing back and forth was his mother, Bulma Briefs. She had recently turned 60 (although she insisted she was 55) and was looking to hand over the reigns to Capsule Corporation to him. So everyday for the past six months, the two had been getting together so she could walk through, well, everything.

Right now, she was going through the finance reports, "... and each week, we are supposed to receive an overview of… Trunks?"

He had been looking out the window, imagining what it would feel like to open it out and go for a quick flight. Slowly, he felt his chair turn around, until his eyes met the fiery ones of his mother.

"YOU INCONSIDERATE CHILD! I SPEND ALL THIS TIME PUTTING TOGETHER A BRIEFING AND YOU CAN'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION?!" she barked.

Jumping back with a quick squeal, "Sorry, sorry! You have my full attention now."

Bulma grinded her teeth, staring her son down as he sank lower into his chair.

A few moments passed, before she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know this is a lot," she whispered. "And I know you might not feel ready for this, or even want this."

Trunks looked straight at his mom, as she sat down in the chair across from him and grabbed his hands. "You are ready for this, Trunks. And I'll still be here to help you navigate these first few years."

"Thanks mom" he squeezed her hand.

Smiling, Bulma stood up and grabbed her purse. "Let's take a break and get some lunch. Maybe if we're lucky, your father will feel inclined to join us."

* * *

The man raised his fists, punching the heavy bag over and over. Fist in, fist out. Fist in, fist out. Sweat glistened down his back, his arms were burning in pain. A few minutes passed, before he lowered his arms and sighed, "Phew, that was a good workout."

He felt a strong hand on his back, "Mr. Yamahara," his trainer said, "You're doing great, but we've only been at this five minutes. We have almost a full hour on the clock."

My. Yamahara looked up at his trainer flabbergasted, before chuckling and swiftly passing out. Goten sighed, this was not what he had in mind when he became a personal trainer. He imagined working with models, actresses, and other pretty girls. When Hercule Satan helped him get a gig at the West City Satan Gym, the old man had told him about all of the beauties who hung out there.

But just three years later, the majority of his clientele were older gentleman like Mr. Yamahara. While it was true that some pretty women hung around the gym, they usually worked with private trainers who had a more known reputation.

The only thing keeping him from going crazy tonight was his plans that evening. Trunks had reserved a table at Heaven, a new nightclub downtown. His friend had been slammed the last few weeks at Capsule Corporation as he prepared to take on the CEO role, so Goten encouraged him to let loose. Marron, a longtime family friend, planned to join them if her boss didn't let her out too late.

Mr. Yamahara raised his head, awake from his fainting spell. "Goten.. I think I'm ready for round 2."

Goten sighed, "Alright, you got it sir."

* * *

Her feet were sore from the heels she had been wearing all day. She had been modeling since she was 16, but she still wasn't quite used to the 6-inch heels. It was one thing if she was walking the runway, usually she would put them on an hour before the show and take them off right after.

Today had been a prep day before the runway show in two weeks. A few of her fellow models had called in sick, no doubt from going out the night before. She had gone out on a rather dull blind date, but retreated home shortly after and stayed in the rest if the night. So today, she had been modeling the various gowns that were to be debuted in two weeks.

Earlier that day, Marron, the new assistant, helped her put some makeup on and curl her long chestnut hair so the designer would have an idea of what she'd look like on the runway.

Sayuri Mizumaki, founder of the fashion label and lead designer, circled her slowly, eyeing every bit of detail. She was silent, only occasionally pointing and whispering "there" to have one of her assistants mark the gown for an alteration. The silence used to make the young woman nervous, after close to ten years of working together the model knew that silence was a good sign.

"Paresu?" Mizumaki asked. The model turned to face her, not changing her expression. Mizumaki stared back, before smiling slightly "Well done. You can change and be on your way."

As Mizumaki retreated to her office, the assistants helped Paresu remove the dress. Marron handed Paresu a silk robe was about to walk away, before Paresu called out to her.

"You did great today, Marron." Paresu said, smiling warmly and walking towards the young blonde woman.

None of the other models usually addressed her, as they felt that the assistants were beneath them. Paresu was all business during the shoots, but had made a point to greet her or thank her after a show.

"Thank you - That's really sweet of you" she replied.

The brunette was about to walk away, when she heard a buzzing. Her phone wasn't in the robe pocket, making Paresu panic until Marron handed her the cellphone, "Mizumaki asked me to hold onto this for you."

Sighing with relief, "Thank god, I already have lost two this year." Paresu looked to see who it was, and rolled her eyes.

Seeing Marron looking confused, Paresu volunteered, "It's this guy I went out with last night, Idasa. He's some sort of martial arts fighter."

"I'm going to guess it didn't go well?" Marron asked.

"Kami, he was so full of himself."

"What happened?" Marron was now curious

"Well, Sakura set me up on a blind date with her boyfriend's friend. So we get to dinner, and all he wants to talk about is himself" Paresu said, slightly annoyed. "I had to get out of there, so I told him I wasn't feeling great and took a car home." Putting a finger to her chin, Paresu continued, "Probably not my best idea, since he keeps texting me."

"That's horrible" Marron said, before getting an idea. "Hey, what are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing right now! Why, did you want to do something?" Paresu smiled.

"My friends, Goten and Trunks invited me to this new night club called Heaven. Why don't you join?"

"Oh, I've been meaning to go there! Sure, I'll come along"

The two women exchanged phone numbers and Paresu gave Marron a quick hug before leaving to get dressed, "I'll text you my address in a bit so we can get ready together!"

"That sounds great, Paresu! See you tonight" Marron waved. She was suddenly much more excited for the evening.

* * *

After lunch, Trunks and Bulma continued to go over various financial reports until she ended their session for the day. Trunks retreated to his apartment in Capsule Corporation and opened the door of his fridge, grabbing a bottle of beer. As he opened it, a series of knocks rang on his door.

"It's open" he called.

Goten answered the door, smiling at Trunks and waving with his free hand. He had changed from his athletic wear into a white button down shirt and dark purple pants, and swept his spiky hair up.

"Hey buddy, just popped a cold one. You want?" he gestured. Goten took the invitation and grabbed a beer for himself.

The two friends sat on the couch in silence for a few minutes, both a little worn from their day.

"Goten, I don't know if I'm too tired to go out tonight" Trunks sighed.

Goten turned, mouth hanging open. Shaking his head, "C'mon man, don't do this! You've been working hard and deserve a night out." Grinning a little, "Maybe you'll meet the girl of your dreams."

"Yeah okay, Romeo." Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Eh, my Julianna isn't out there."

"You mean, Juliet?"

Goten was quiet for a moment, before grinning. "...And that's why I'm not a scholar like Gohan."

The two friends laughed. "Alright fine, Goten. Let's finish our beers, I'll change out of this monkey suit, and we can go."

* * *

"Hey come on in, just got out of the shower." Paresu opened the door, wearing a bathrobe and her hair wrapped in a towel.

Marron was dressed from earlier that day, in grey jeans and a black long sleeve top. She had brought a few different outfits for tonight, as she wanted the brunette's opinion. Paresu had texted her letting Marron know that she had hair products galore, as well as an abundance of makeup that she got from shoots and for being a social media influencer for a cosmetic line.

"Wow, your place looks great!" Marron said, looked around.

Paresu's apartment was small, a one bedroom in the arts district of West City. She had a corner apartment in a high rise, with large windows on two walls that had a great view of downtown. One wall had a large cork board hanging, with various pinned photos of what appeared to be family and friends, a few shots from different countries, and old magazine covers. Marron studied the photos, recognizing Paresu as the covergirl on the old magazines. She appeared to be as young as 16 or 17 on one.

Paresu came over and handed Marron a glass of water, "Whatcha looking at, Marron."

"Just some of your photos." sipping her water. One photo caught her eye, it showed Paresu in a blue evening gown with a brunette actress she recognized. "Oh cool, you met Cocoa Hikari?"

"She's my older sister" Paresu smiled, "That's an old photo of us though, let me see if I have a more recent one." She looked through her phone for a few seconds, before handing her phone to Marron, "Here we go!"

The photo showed Paresu, makeup free in a baseball cap and t-shirt with Cocoa and two young girls, "Those are my nieces, they're six and five." Smiling warmly, "I try to see them a few times a month, when I'm not booked or traveling. Do you have siblings?"

Marron shook her head, "No, but I saw Trunks and Goten growing up all the time as kids. They're like big brothers to me."

"Do you have a picture of your friends?" she said as she took the towel out of her hair, towel drying her long locks.

Marron pulled up a recent photo, showing the three of them at a barbeque from earlier that year. Paresu studied the photo, and smiled "You guys look happy."

"They're great guys" she replied, before saying "It's almost 9 PM. We should probably get our act together"

"Agreed" Paresu nodded, "Let me dry my hair and get changed. Help yourself to anything you need!"

As Paresu got ready, Marron laid out her outfits and did her makeup. Although she was a designer's assistant, she was trained in makeup art during university and often lent a hand to the models before the show.

Paresu came out fifteen minutes later wearing a golden-yellow long sleeve romper, which had a deep v cut. She had dried her hair to have loose, bouncy waves, but was still makeup free. "Okay Marron, which shoes?" Paresu held up two, an open toed cognac peeptoe ankle boots or cream booties. Marron pointed to the peeptoes.

As she slipped on her shoes, Paresu asked Marron what she was going to wear. Marron held out two options, a rosy bodycon dress or a dark purple halter to wear with her jeans. Paresu pointed to the dress.

Marron and Paresu finished their makeup together, giggling like schoolgirls as they told stories of old boyfriends or recent escapades they had been on.

As they waited for the car, Paresu procured a bottle of Vodka from her freezer and poured two shots. The duo took the drink quickly and went out to meet the car, knowing that tonight was the beginning of a long friendship.


	3. Chapter 2 - In Heaven

Trunks and Goten arrived at Heaven shortly after 10:30. The club was busy, but not yet at its fullest. The security guards nodded and moved aside as the two men walked into the reserved section. At their table, a bottle of whiskey and some mixes awaited them. Goten sat down first and began pouring drinks for the two of them.

As Trunks sat down, he felt his phone buzz. "Hey Ten, it's Marron. She and a friend are on their way."

"Lady friend or boyfriend?" Goten asked.

"Not sure, let me find out." Trunks replied. His phone buzz a moment later, "Her name is Paresu, she's one of the models that Marron works with."

"A model huh" Goten grinned.

"You dog" Trunks said, grabbing a drink and clinking it with Goten's before finishing it straight. "Pour another, it's been a long day."

"Take it slow, Trunks. We got two ladies joining us and more drinks to come" Goten cautioned as he poured another.

* * *

Trunks looked up from his drink to see Marron walking towards them. She was wearing a form fitting sleeveless pink dress and wore her hair down. Another woman, with chestnut hair and wearing a yellow romper, was next to her.

He had never seen a woman so beautiful. As the two women approached Trunks, his blue eyes met with the woman's brown, and she smiled.

"Woah" Goten whispered. Trunks turned to his friend and also noticed that his eyes were on Paresu.

Marron and Paresu sat on the couch across from Trunks and Goten, both men still looking at the brunette. "Guys, this is my friend Paresu Amaguri. She's a model who works for my boss, Mizumaki."

Paresu smiled, "Nice to meet you guys."

Goten smiled back, "Amaguri, that sounds familiar. Are you related to the actress, Cocoa Amaguri?"

"She's my older sister. Do you know her?" she answered excitedly.

"I haven't met her, but my brother Gohan worked with her on the Great Saiyaman movie."

"Oh Gohan! I was only a kid when that movie was made, but I remember her telling me about him. She said he was cute"

"Well I've been told I'm the better looking younger brother" he quipped. Paresu giggled at this.

"Real smooth, Ten." Trunks sighed.

"And you are Trunks Briefs." Paresu said, turning her head to the lilac-haired man.

"How did you know?" he asked. He wondered if she had seen him in the Satan Magazine 30 Under 30 list.

"Marron showed me a photo," she smiled.

"Ah." he said, "Yeah, that's me." Relieved, the lilac-haired man sipped his drink. "So Paresu, Marron mentioned that you're a model. How long have you been modeling?"

"Almost ten years." she answered. "I did my first runway at sixteen and turned twenty-five last month."

"Wow" Goten joined, "Did you always want to be a model?"

She shook her head, "I wanted to be a photographer and travel the world when I was growing up. But I was discovered at sixteen and signed with Mizumaki shortly after. This is the only life I know now."

"Cool - so what do you want to do after modeling?" Goten asked.

"If I retire?...I honestly don't know," she mused, "I can't imagine stepping away from this life right now."

"You've got time, Paresu. By the way, did Cocoa ever model?" Marron looked at her friend.

"She did, but it was totally different. Cocoa did more commercial modeling where I do fashion modeling. So, while I will do photoshoots each season, my work is primarily on the runway. Cocoa only did promotional work for movies or sponsorships."

The guys nodded, not fully understanding the difference. Trunks poured two drinks from the glass bottle and handed them to the two women in front of him. Marron eagerly took one, but Paresu hesitated.

"Do you not drink?" Goten asked.

"No, I do. I'm gluten-free though, so I avoid whiskey. I'll go get a drink at the bar and be right back."

"Let me come with you!" Goten stood up, "You can tell me more about your work."

"Okay! Marron, Trunks, we'll be right back." Paresu said as she and Goten walked towards the bar.

* * *

Marron moved over to sit next to Trunks and watched her friend as his eyes trailed after Paresu. She nudged him in the ribs, "Ow, what was that for?"

"You're interested, aren't you?" she whispered. A slight smirk and knowing eyes looked at him.

He sighed, "She's… very pretty. But Goten's clearly into her."

Marrom mhmm-ed and took a sip of her drink. "I think you two could get along well."

At the bar, Goten and Paresu were laughing together, sipping on their drinks. Trunks watched as Goten moved closer to the brunette and ran a hand up and down her arm, as she smiled up at the dark-haired man.

Marron's eyes followed Trunks, watching the couple at the bar, before moving back to Trunks. "Maybe not. So how's the orientation with your mom going?"

"Oh, it's just peachy," he replied, eyes still watching the scene at the bar.

 _This isn't good. I need to distract him, we came out to have fun._ The blonde thought, until an idea popped in her head, "Hey, while those two finish their drinks, why don't we go dance? I saw some cute girls on the floor."

Trunks finished his drink, setting the glass down on the table evenly. "Sounds good, let's go."


	4. Chapter 3 - On the Floor

Trunks and Marron entered the crowded dance floor, each eyeing potential partners for the next song. The various couples were dancing close together, bodies swaying to the beat of the track. Within a minute, a handsome, tall man approached Marron and pulled her in for a dance. The blonde smiled and waved to Trunks, who gave her the thumbs up.

 _Alright, let's see who's out here,_ Trunks thought to himself. He eyed a pretty, dark haired woman from behind. She was wearing a dark blue top, with dark wash jeans and heels. Determined, Trunks walked over and tapped her shoulders to get her attention.

As she turned around, Trunks mouth dropped. He didn't expect to see her here.

"Hi Trunks," Mai said.

"Hey, stranger….How've you been?" Trunks blushed.

Mai didn't answer at first, instead carefully looking into the eyes of her ex-boyfriend. Trunks had broken up with her last year as he started training to become the Capsule Corporation CEO. She had grown to love him over the years and thought they could build a life together, but that wasn't the case.

Her stare became icy, "I'm fine." A man approached Mai and wrapped an arm around her. Looking up at Trunks the man smiled, "Hey babe, who's this?"

"Just an old friend," she answered, closing the subject. Turning to her new beau, she indicated that she wanted to move on. As he began to lead her to another section of the club, she waved back, "Bye, Trunks."

* * *

Trunks sighed as he watched them walk away and dance. It was bad enough to be attracted to a new, seemingly unavailable girl, but seeing his ex was an unpleasant surprise. The lilac-haired man turned and walked to the bar, his mind set on ordering a few shots to numb his disappointment. He grabbed the first open chair, but heard a giggle as he sat down. On his left was Paresu, with Goten sitting next to her. Trunks wasn't sure what they were talking about, but he noticed his friend holding her hand. The couple turned to greet Trunks as he looked over the shot list.

"Hey buddy, we missed you. Where've you been?" Goten grinned.

"Marron and I went to dance, and then I ran into Mai." Trunks answered solemnly. The bartender walked over, and Trunks pointed to an item on the list and held out three fingers. Trunks paid, and then watched as each shot was poured. Picking up the first glass, Trunks brought the liquid to his lips and tipped his head back, finishing the drink quickly.

"Guess it didn't go well?" Goten nervously smiled, his hand moving from the brunette's hand to around her shoulders.

Paresu looked inquisitively at Goten, who leaned over to quietly tell her of Trunk's and Mai's history. Nodding, the brunette looked over to the lilac-haired man, and then to the dancefloor before asking, "Which one is she?"

"Long black hair, dark eyes. She's dancing with her new toy." Trunks downed the second shot. The combination of the pregaming and shots were starting to affect him.

Trunks picked up the third glass, ready to take the third shot before Paresu grabbed the glass from his hand, "Stop, you're gonna get sick."

"I'll be fine." he grumbled, reaching to snatch the glass back.

In response, she moved her hand out of reach and shook her head. "If this is about Mai, liquor isn't going to help."

Resigned to not getting his third shot, Trunks leaned back into his chair. "Fine then - Got any ideas?"

Paresu smiled slightly, "Why don't we go dance?"

Trunks stared back at Paresu, not sure of her intentions. It would help him get his mind off Mai, and she was pretty. "Goten, would you mind?"

"No, but hands to yourself, Trunks," the onyx-eyed man grinned.

Paresu put the shot back on the table and turned to Goten to kiss him on the cheek, whisperering that she'd be back soon. As Trunks went to pick up the third shot, Paresu grabbed it out of his hand again, finishing it quickly.

"HEY-" he began, before she cut him off.

"Let's go" and she grabbed his hand and walked them to the dancefloor.

* * *

Marron and her partner danced to the music, enjoying each other's company. He spun her around, pulling her close to him as he moved his hips against her from behind. As he moved his hands up to grab her breasts, she pushed him away.

"I'm not that kind of girl," she growled, storming off towards the private table.

* * *

Paresu and Trunks moved into the middle of the floor, surrounded by the other couples and groups. They danced together, and then as the crowd got tighter, they were pushed closer together, dancing closely.

As the song changed to a more upbeat one, another woman moved backwards and accidentally knocked Paresu forward into Trunks arms. She looked up at him, brown eyes on his blue, with a slight blush on her face. He forgot about everything else in the room, his attention focused on the press of her warm breasts against his chest and the fabric of the romper against his hands.

 _Is this my chance?_ Trunks thought. As he was about to lean down and kiss her, he felt a finger tap his shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in here?" Goten asked, moving Trunks to the side to wrap his arms around Paresu. Trunks did mind, but knew that his friend had already expressed interest in the brunette. He turned his attention to Paresu, who had wrapped her arms around Goten's neck and was smiling up at him.

"Not at all, I'm going to see where Marron's at." Trunks resigned. The moment had been lost.

"We'll see you in a bit, Trunks," she said, not turning her attention away from Goten. Seeing the Marron had returned to their table, Trunks turned and walked off the dancefloor.

* * *

Marron was busy pouring herself another drink from the whiskey bottle when she noticed Trunks approaching. He collapsed next to her, holding out his hand for a drink. Handing him the gkass she just mixed, she smirked at him, "Well, well. What have you been up to?"

"I ran into Mai, then had a few shots and danced a bit," he sipped his drink.

"Mai's here?" Marron blinked. She hadn't seen the dark-haired woman since Trunks broke things off last summer.

"Yeah, she's got a new man," he whispered, staring at the floor. He had ended things when his mom started training him to become the Capsule Corporation CEO. She was ready for marriage, a family. While it would have looked good on paper, he wasn't ready for that. So he broke off their relationship.

"Do you still love her?" Marron asked carefully.

Trunks sighed, messing his hair with his hands, "No, but it's still weird to see her with someone else." Marron nodded in agreement. "So where's that guy?" Trunks asked.

Snorting, the blonde picked up the bottle and poured a shot out, "He was a pig" and quickly drank the shot. He nodded at her and finished his drink, holding out his glass for another shot.

* * *

The lights dimmed, allowing for a little privacy on the crowded dance floor. Goten grabbed Paresu's chin with his hand and pulled her in for a kiss. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper before pulling away to mouth, "not here."

Grabbing his hand, Paresu led Goten off the dancefloor and around the corner into a private bathroom. Paresu pressed the lock, before turning back to Goten.

"Why are we in -" he began asking, before she pushed him against the wall and kissed him again. He spun her around, pinning her hands above her head and kissing her deeply. They kissed softly at first, but the kisses became more heated and desperate as they pressed their bodies against one another. His lips left hers as he went to kiss her cheeks and then her neck. Goten let go of her hands so that his hands could explore the soft curves of her body.

He pulled away from her lips, staring deep into her eyes and breathing deeply, as his hands thumbs ran over the perky mounts of her breasts. Moving slowly down her body, his strong hands massaged her thighs and moved to her rear, squeezing softly to earn a soft moan.

"Let me take you home," he whispered, moving to kiss her neck.

She was tempted. She was also tempted to let him take her right then and there. But as he kissed her neck, she remembered that Marron invited her out. She couldn't ditch a girlfriend, not for casual sex with a stranger. No matter how sexy this particular stranger was.

Pulling away, Paresu kissed him once more softly and caressed his face, "Not tonight. Marron invited me here and I'm not going to ditch her."

Sighing, he smiled at her, obvious disappointment written on his face. "Okay, I understand," he kissed her again, "but I want to see you again."

"I'd like that" she whispered, hands running through his spiky dark hair.

"I like you" he whispered. He pushed his arousal against her, "I think it's kinda obvious."

She giggled, "I noticed. We should get back to Marron and Trunks though." She ran a hand up and down his chest, before leaning in to kiss him, "but I think they can wait a minute."

* * *

Marron and Trunks had finished the bottle long ago, both coming to the conclusion that Goten and Paresu had left together. They had joined the other patrons in their section, choosing to dance together rather than go back on the crowded dance floor.

Marron had procured another bottle from one of the other tables, and was dancing on the couch with her arms in the air. Her hips were swaying to the beat of the music, while Trunks was leaning over the balcony taking in the crowd. Eyes closed, Marron lifted the bottle to her lips to take another swig from the bottle.

"Marron, I never knew you were such a party girl," a woman's voice called out. The blonde turned around to see Paresu walking towards her with a big smile, looking slightly disheveled.

"'Su, I thought you left!" Marron squealed. From the shots at Paresu's apartment to the recent drinks, she was quite far gone. Marron jumped off the couch and gave Paresu a quick hug, "We thought you and Goten left to smang it."

"Uh, smang?" Paresu asked.

"You know… smash… bang" Marron gestured.

Paresu, "Oh! I never heard that. No, we were… talking."

Marron leaned in and winked, "Is that what the kids call it these days?"

"We made out," Paresu blushed. Marron smirked and raised an eyebrow, trying to pry more from her friend. "That's all - I'm serious, Marron!"

"Okay, okay," Marron held up her hand, bottle still firmly in her grasp. She handed Paresu the bottle, who took it and grabbed a glass from the table and poured herself a healthy dose. "Where's Goten?"

Still blushing, "He said he had to take care of something."

"I see," Marron grinned. "Well, once he's done, why don't we grab Trunks and get out of here? I have somewhere in mind."


	5. Chapter 4 - Bar Shenanigans

Once Goten returned from the bathroom, the girls grabbed Trunks and told them of their plan. Trunks happily ordered an car for the four of them, letting Marron sit in the front to navigate the driver to their destination. "Alright Marron, where are we going?" Trunks asked.

Marron turned around to face the group, a delicious smile across her red cheeks, "We're going to Stars in Parsley City."

Trunks mouth hung open. Stars was an old sports bar that he and Goten, and then later Marron, would sneak into before they were legal. "That old place - why?"

"Because I said so," she huffed, turning back around in her seat.

"C'mon Trunks, it'll be fun" Goten chuckled, "Remember the time we all got drunk on Halloween?"

Of course he remembered. Trunks, Goten, Mai, and Marron had gone out before Goten's birthday a few years ago. Since they weren't all legal, they snuck into Stars for a few pitchers of beer and some pool. The night ended when one of Marron's teachers walked in and they ran out before the police were called. But before then, they all climbed into one of the photobooths and took a set of photos.

He still kept his copy in his wallet. He missed those days.

"Yeah, I guess it will," Trunks mumbled, looking out the window to stare at the city lights.

* * *

They arrived at the bar, shortly after 1 AM. Paresu looked around the bar to take in her surroundings. Old wood paneling covered the floor, with neon bar signs serving for decorations. The floor was scratched beyond belief, although it had once looked to be a black and white linoleum pattern. Her eyes wandered to the corner, where she noticed an old photo booth.

Squealing, the brunette grabbed Goten's hand and pulled him over, "Ooh I love photo booths! Please, please take a photo with me"

Giggling, Goten followed his drunk companion into the booth, winking at Trunks before closing the curtain around them. Soft sounds and more giggling could be heard, as the machine turned on.

"I wonder how much they'll remember tomorrow" Marron wondered with a concerned expression

"They'll have the pictures to remind themselves," Trunks responded, "C'mon let's grab a beer and play around."

Going over to the bar, Trunks ordered a pitcher of beer and an eight-ball rack. Marron had already selected a table in the back and procured two cue sticks. The lilac-haired man set the rack on the table and set the balls, nodding to Marron to let her break. "Why did you bring us here, Mar?" he asked.

Not breaking her concentration, Marron eyed the cue, "Clubs are fun, but it wasn't what I had in mind for tonight." Pulling the cue stick back, Marron hit the ball, breaking the triangle. A blue two ball fell into a pocket, earning a smile from the blonde.

"That's not really an answer. Why did you really bring us here?" he asked carefully.

"I wanted to see if I still got it" she smirked, grabbing a beer from the table, "And I obviously still do." Trunks stared at her evenly, trying to decide if he should press further.

"I'm winning by the way," she teased, handing the cue stick out to him. Trunks grabbed it from her hand. He wasn't going to let her win this easily.

* * *

Paresu and Goten joined Trunks and Marron, holding hands and giggling together. "Did you two actually take photos together?" Marron teased.

"Check. It. OUT!" Paresu held up a few different photo strips, showing various photos of her and Goten making silly faces, posing dramatically, or kissing. She tucked the strips into a pocket on the side of her romper.

"So who's winning?" Goten asked, pouring himself a beer from the pitcher. He grinned, "It's Marron isn't it?"

"She won the first two games," Trunks admitted, before looking down at his watch," Wow its almost 2. Marron, what were you thinking after this?"

Marron shrugged, "After we finish the pitcher, I could go for some food."

At the mention of food, Goten's stomach growled. Nervously chuckling, he smiled and looked at Paresu, "Ya know, food sounds pretty good. Are you hungry?"

"Mhmm, I've had quite a bit to drink. I should probably eat." the brunette giggled, cheeks flushed.

"Alright, we'll head out soon then." Trunks nodded. About twenty minutes later, the group departed for Trunks home at Capsule Corporation. Before arriving, Trunks called ahead to the kitchen staff and asked them to prepare food enough for a small party.

* * *

"Marron, how are they… how can they...?" Paresu whispered as she watched the two demi-saiyans eat. When they arrived at Trunks home, they were greeted with a spread of breakfast food in the kitchen, enough to feed a small party. She had giggled when she watched Trunks and Goten load up their plates with a mountain of food, believing there was no possible way they could finish it, but quickly became horrified when she saw how much they could eat.

Marron didn't flinch. She had grown up with Trunks and Goten, and had known their families her entire life, so their voracious appetites never faced her. She mentally admitted it was still a little gross to watch, "They're growing boys."

"I see," she sighed, looking down at her plate of half-finished eggs and bacon, having suddenly lost her appetite.

The mountain of plates continued to grow as the two men finished the dishes one by one. No words were spoken from Goten or Trunks, or from the two women, one horrified and the other mildly amused, as they watched them. As Goten put down his fork, he leaned back and let out a content sigh, "That was pretty good, Trunks."

"Yeah it was.," he agreed. Noticing the time, he turned his attention to the women, "Sorry ladies, we were pretty hungry."

"We noticed," Marron and Paresu said in unison.

"Do you guys want to crash here tonight? We got plenty of bedrooms." Trunks offered as he got up from his chair. Goten, Paresu, and Marron followed suit as Trunks waved them to follow him.

"That would be great, I'll head home in the morning," Goten yawned. He wrapped an arm around Paresu's shoulder and grinned, "You can crash with me"

The brunette kissed his cheek, "That's sweet of you, but I think I'm going to head home." She turned her attention to Trunks and smiled warmly at him, "I've had fun tonight."

Marron gave the brunette a quick hug, who promised to text her in the morning. Paresu walked over to Trunks, who wrapped her arms around the lilac-haired man and kissed his cheek, "See you next time." She turned her attention back to Goten and held out her hand, which he eagerly took, "Come wait for me while I call the car."

"You got it. Trunks, we'll be right back." Goten grinned as the two headed towards the door.

Trunks turned his attention back to Marron, "He'll take the room on the right, as usual. You want the one down the hall?"

"Works for me. See you in the morning," the blonde smiled, hugging her friend tightly.

* * *

Trunks and Goten woke up around 9, feeling refreshed and energetic. Whether it was the mountain of food they had eaten a few hours before or their saiyan-genes, neither of them were hungover.

The same couldn't be said for Marron. The blonde had emerged from her bedroom closer to noon, moaning of a headache and a case of the spins. She was wearing a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt Trunks had lent her, with her makeup and hair messy from the night before.

Trunks and Goten were sitting on the balcony, enjoying another meal prepared by the Capsule Corp staff. Noticing the blonde walking towards them, Goten waved. "Hey Mar, want the hair of the dog?" the dark-haired man teased, "It'll get rid of that hangover!"

"Fuck...OFF!" Marron groaned, earning a giggle from Goten.

"Have you heard from Paresu, Mar? I didn't get her number last night."

"Let me text her," Marron mumbled, pulling her phone out. Before she could type in a message, her phone buzzed. Marron smiled, "It's 'Su, she feels like shit" A second message buzzed, "She also wants your number."

"YES! Please text it to her," Goten turned to Trunks, grinning ear to ear, "This girl's a keeper."

A moment later, Goten's cell phone rang. He picked it up with a smile, "Good morning, beautiful… oh hey Gohan." His smile quickly faded. The young man remained silent until jumping out of his sheet, "What do you mean Dad is back?"

Trunks looked over. Goku had been away for the past few years training Uub, his chosen successor. Although the saiyan visited from time to time, he almost never came to any family events. When he did visit, one of the family members was quick to notify everyone before he disappeared again.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming over. Bye." Goten finished, putting his cellphone in his pocket.

"What was that, Ten?" Trunks asked.

Goten rubbed his neck, a confused expression painted on his face. "Gohan said Dad's back… and he's a kid again. I gotta go, I'll fill you in later," he waved, running off the patio and leaping in the air to fly off towards Mount Pazhou.

Marron and Trunks sat in silence for a few moments.

"That wasn't weird," Marron mumbled, looking up towards the sky in the direction Goten flew off in.

"We've seen weirder." Trunks admitted. There was something still on his mind though, "Listen, Marron. I need to know - Why did you bring us to Star last night?"

"I wanted to play pool." the blonde responded, picking up Goten's abandoned coffee and taking a sip, "I told you."

"C'mon, I know you." Trunks pried, "Was it to relive old memories or something?"

"That's one reason," Marron admitted, "I miss us. It's been a little weird since you and Mai broke up." Before the breakup, the four used to hang out regularly, going out to meals or bars. They had also vacationed together as friends.

"I miss those days too," he looked up, reminiscing of the times they had shared together. "We were all so close," he whispered.

Marron stared at the demi-saiyan, feeling sorry for him. She shifted over into the seat next to Trunks, wrapping an arm around him in a half hug.

"There's something else on my mind," Trunks turned to Marron, "Why did you invite Paresu out?"

"She's a new friend and I wanted to get to know her," Marron responded, looking off at the ground. She felt Trunk's eyes stare into her, so she met his blue eyes with her own and sighed, "... and I thought you guys would hit it off."

"What?" he was shocked.

"I thought you and Paresu would hit it off." she blushed, "You've been single since Mai, and I've known her for a few months now. She's a great girl." She paused, before taking a deep breath,  
"But I didn't expect her and Goten to go for each other."

"Wait a minute. Do you still like Goten?" he whispered. Marron had confided in her crush on Goten a few months ago. She had known the demisaiyan her whole life, but recently she had found herself attracted to him. Trunks had tried asking his best friend what he thought of the blonde, but his attention was usually on his current flame. "You know Goten, he has a new girl every few weeks," Trunks reassured.

"He doesn't get excited about them, not like this," Marron whispered. "So what do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know." he admitted. "I want him to be happy. And she clearly likes him."

"What about you?" she asked. "What about me?" he asked back.

"Trunks, I saw the way you looked at her last night," Marron confessed, rubbing his back.

Memories of last night flooded him. The dancing, the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him. The kiss on the cheek. "I'm worried I'm head over heels too," he confessed.


	6. Chapter 5 - Grand Tour

Two days had passed since the group's night at Heaven and Star. In that time, Goten had been filled in about the deal with his dad the Black Star Dragon Balls. In the kitchen, his parents, brother, and sister-in-law, were discussing their plans to collect the balls across the galaxy. Not wanting to get involved, Goten stayed in the living room with Pan while she watched her show. He and Paresu had been texting back and forth, but the young Son decided to give her a call.

"Hey there, what are you up to tonight?" he asked, hoping she hadn't already made plans.

Pan tried to tune her uncle out as he talked to his latest flame, but it was hard to concentrate with his blubbering,"I mean, if you're not already doing something tonight that is. Oh really? I'm excited too!"

"You're one smooth talker, Uncle Goten. That's for sure," Pan teased, turning around to stick her tongue out.

Goten jumped out of his seat to shush Pan, before hurriedly returning to his phone, "No, not you, Paresu."

"If you don't want me to poke fun, then keep your voice down," Pan suggested.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to talk on the phone!" Goten yelled.

"It's a mobile phone, why don't you go outside?" Pan retorted.

"Uh, hello?" Paresu could be heard through the phone. Goten's attention shifted back to his phone. "I'm sorry, you see my little niece was in the room...Oh you have nieces too - so you get it. But hey, listen. How about I pick you up around 8 PM?"

"I'm not little, I'm fourteen!" she retorted, until her uncle waved her away. Sighing, Pan walked out of the living room and headed towards the pantry for a snack.

"Yeah dad, we could never let anything bad happen to Earth," Gohan started to stay. The older demi-saiyan adjusted his glasses and leaned forward, "So that's why I've decided I'm coming with you."

That caught Pan's attention. The teenage girl approached the table her family was at. Her grandmother ChiChi was excited, saying how fantastic it was that Gohan was going to join her grandfather in space.

"Papa, you're going into space?" Pan asked. When her father nodded, she got an idea and smiled sweetly at him, "Papa, I want to go into space. Please let me join!"

"Pan," her mother interjected, placing a soft hand on her shoulder, "You're too young, plus you have your schoolwork."

"Not only that, but there's scary monsters and aliens in space. You're grandfather and father aren't going for fun. It'll be dangerous!" ChiChi added, making gestures to indicate the various creatures they'd encounter.

Although she tried to make her point, her parents and grandparents both shot her down. Whether it was too dangerous, or she was too young, they had a million excuses to keep her from going, the quarter-saiyan felt. Her uncle was still on the phone, going on and on with the new girl.

She was going to find a way on that ship.

* * *

Goten was going to pick her up at 8 PM for their first date. He had called her before her shoot started so they could arrange dinner. She had given her phone while in the makeup chair so that she wouldn't be distracted by a text or phone call.

During the first break, Marron nervously approached her, "Goten texted and called you a couple of times." Marron handed Paresu back her phone and immediately checked her texts. There were three, with various messages asking her to call him. She lastly listened to his voicemail, where he said he was going to space for a year and would have to reschedule their date.

It was one of the rudest and most cowardly ways to cancel a date, she thought. She dialed his number. "Hey 'Su, you got my message?" he answered, sounding cheerful as usual. It only added fire to her boiling anger.

"What do you mean you're going to space? What a load of shit" Paresu yelled into the phone. Marron jumped back and the other models turned their head to watch the brunette's usually calm demeanor contort.

"No I swear, I really am going into outer space. I know it sounds like bologna, but I'm not making it up," he reassured firmly. She could hear a faint noise, sounding light a hairdryer in the background. _Was he with another girl?_ she wondered.

"If you don't want to go out with me, or if there's someone else…" she started to stay, walking away from the set to get some privacy.

"What? Look - I can barely hear you! If you want to yell at me you'll have to yell a little louder."

"What the hell is your problem?" she screamed and heard a loud blast. "Goten?"

"Hey you still there? Change of plans, my schedule just cleared up," he groaned. Paresu hung up in annoyance, turning her phone into mute and handing it back to Marron as she returned to set.

Marron looked at the model, trying to decide if it was best to pry. It was worth a shot, "I'm guessing things didn't go well?" The brunette breathed deeply, before turning to Marron. "That was Goten, he said he had to cancel our date to save the world. Then he said his trip was cancelled."

Marron buried her face into her agenda, trying to hide her nervous expression from the model. Her parents had filled her in on the recent drama and how Goten, Trunks, and Goku were going to go into space to find the Black Star Dragon Balls. But she had grown up knowing all of this, Paresu didn't. _Do I tell her?_ Marron wondered.

"What a weirdo," the brunette decided, "Let's go finish the shoot."

* * *

Trunks was in the ship, alone now with Goku and Pan. Looking around at his home for the next year, he hoped that it would all turn out okay. His parents and the Son family were counting on him.

"Trunks, Grandpa Goku, we're going to have so much fun" chirped Pan. She hadn't stopped bouncing around since she launched the ship. Goku scratched his head nervously and laughed, "Wasn't the party I expected, but we'll make it work."

"Do you think Uncle Goten is okay?" Pan fumbled. She had suddenly remembered that he was on the outside of the ship when it took off.

"I'm sure he's fine, Pan. Guess he's going on his date after all," Trunks chuckled. Pan laughed in agreement, "He seemed pretty excited about this one. What do you think Trunks?"

Trunks blushed as he thought of the beautiful brunette. Not wanting to give Pan any ideas, he turned away to look out at the stars, "She's definitely Goten's type."

Goku's stomach loudly grumbled, pulling Trunks away from his thoughts of their night out, "C'mon guys, lets see whats in the kitchen."

* * *

As soon as the ship was far enough away, Gohan, Chichi, and Videl raced downstairs to check on Goten. The young man was laying in a pile of crates, his clothes demolished from the blast of the ship. "MY BABY! Are you okay, Goten?" Chichi fawned over her youngest son, checking his arms and face for wounds. The youngest Son shook a stunned expression from his face, sitting up from the mess with a wince. Goten gasped, before jumping into the air and flying off, "I'll be right back!"

"Where is he going?" Chichi demanded. Gohan and Videl stared off, just as confused as the matriarch, "Gohan, follow your brother!"

"Ehhh, mom, it seemed important. I'll check on him in a bit," he reassured.

* * *

Goten landed on Paresu's balcony, having had her address from her earlier texts. Looking inside, he noticed the brunette pacing around her living room in white pants and a black and white striped top. She appeared to be on the phone.

He waited before she hung up her phone to knock on the sliding glass door, startling her in the process. Her expression was one of shock, as she took in his face and then burnt clothing. "Goten? How did you get up here? … and what happened to your clothes?" she asked as she opened the door.

"It's a long story," he answered. The brunette looked at him inquisitively, so he offered, "I told you, I had a change of plans."

"What about the BS with the spaceship?" she questioned, crossing her arms across her chest.

"All true," he reached out to hug her, but Paresu held up a hand, "I swear it!"

"I hate liars," she growled. She had broken up with her last boyfriend for lying to her. Not that Goten was her boyfriend… yet.

"Paresu, as long as we're together-" he began.

"Goten, we made out at a club, we haven't even had a date yet!" she reminded him. He stared at her brown eyes with his dark onyx ones.

"That's true," he agreed, before grabbing her hand, "But I'll promise you this. If we are going to be together, I won't lie to you. Ever."

She considered this as he held her hand. His eyes weren't hiding anything as he looked at her. Maybe, there was a chance that it was all true. After what felt like an eternity to Goten, the brunette leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "Okay, we're good."

"So does this mean you're still up for our date?" Goten asked, grinning ear to ear, "Because if you are, I just need to get changed."

"Since you cancelled, I've made other plans tonight. But another time." she smiled. It was then the brunette realized that they had been standing on her balcony, which didn't have a stairwell. "Goten, how did you get up here?"

The young man rubbed his neck and nervously laughed, "I flew."

She snorted, "What did we just say about lying?"

"Okay fine, Superman. Show me then," she teased with a wink. In response, Goten brought one leg over the balcony and jumped over. The brunette started screaming, thinking that he was plummeting to his death, until he levitated before her.

"BUT - BUT…. HOW?" she asked. Goten leaned over to kiss her lips, smiling at her confused expression.

"I'll call you later to reschedule our date," he promised, before flying off towards the sunset.

Paresu continued to stare off in the direction Goten flew off in, mouth still hanging open. She was brought back to reality by a knock on her apartment door. Shaking her head, the brunette closed the door to her balcony and went to let her guests in.

* * *

Cocoa Amaguri-Hikari looked similar to her younger sister, with dark wavy hair and dark brown eyes. In recent years, she had cut it to be shorter, easier for her life as a mom, but still stylish for her acting work. She was wearing a pink dress with long sleeves, and both her hands were on the shoulders of two young dark-haired girls.

"Aunt 'Su!" the two girls excitedly screamed, running to hug their aunt. They rushed into her apartment, each holding a favorite "sleep buddy" and other toys they intended on playing with during their stay.

"Thanks for watching them last minute so Pigero and I can go out. We've been wanting a date night for a while," the older woman smiled, hugging her sister close.

"Yeah no problem, Cocoa." Paresu responded in a distant voice. She patted her sisters back, who noticed her sisters expression. Pulling back, she looked at the younger woman inquisitively.

"Cocoa, that guy I was supposed to go out with tonight just came by," Paresu whispered, not wanting her nieces to hear. The last time she mentioned a date, they kept singing songs about kissing in a tree.

"What happened? Do I need to tell my husband to beat him up?" Cocoa teased. Paresu shook her head, running a hand through her long locks.

"No, no. He came to apologize for cancelling the date," she whispered, bouncing her head back and forth with a blush. "And… well.."

"And?"Cocoa asked, before giving her sister a delicious smile, "Oh! I know, you guys did it. Was it good?"

"No, stop it!" Paresu hissed, earning a snicker from her sister. "Cocoa, once we finished talking, he flew away!"

"Okay."

"What do you mean, "Okay?"" Paresu raised her voice. Her nieces turned away to look at their mother and aunt with a confused expression, "It's nothing girls, don't worry."

"'Su… remember when I filmed that Great Saiyaman movie? I worked with the real Great Saiyaman, a man named Gohan. Did I ever tell you that he took me flying around Satan City?"

"I thought you were high," Paresu confessed. Her sister had been in her early twenties when she filmed that movie, a popular pop idol and famous actress. Cocoa kept her image clean, but Paresu remembered her sister coming home more than once a little drunk or stoned.

"Cute, but I wasn't. He could really fly," Cocoa patted her sisters shoulder, "What did you say his name was? Maybe Gohan and your boyfriend are related?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Paresu emphasized, "At least not yet. He said he's going to call me to reschedule our date."

"Well there you go!" Cocoa smiled, running in to the apartment to kiss both her daughters. "Okay girls, see you later. Thanks again Paresu." Paresu closed the door after her sister ran out, shaking her head. Her youngest niece, Makoto, ran over and pulled on her shirt, "Aunt 'Su, play with us."

 _What a day_ she thought as her nieces arranged the stuffed animals and cups they brought over for a tea party. She sat on the floor to join them, pretending to serve tea to the two girls. Over the course of the evening, through the tea party and cartoon movie she watched afterwards, Paresu's mind kept wandering back to Goten.

 _I wonder what's going to happen,_ she thought as Makoto fell asleep in her arms, and her other niece Satsuki dozed against her. Smiling, Paresu decided it could wait until the morning.


	7. Chapter 6 - Baby's Arrival Pt 1

**Author's Note:** I have the outline done for the next few chapters, which summarize different episodes from DBGT. These chapter's will be a little shorter before getting back into the main story that I have planned.

* * *

Nine months had passed since Trunks, Goku and Pan had taken off to collect the Black Star Dragon Balls. None of the Z-fighters had been able to get in touch with the group due to a technical glitch that wasn't fixed before Pan blasted off. The Son and Briefs family worried about the trio in space, but knew there was little they could do besides wait for their arrival.

Paresu and Goten continued to see each other casually, as it was the beginning of fashion season when she and Goten first met. With her schedule, they were only able to see each other a few times when she was back in West City. Usually their dates were simple, either going to dinner or seeing a movie together. But now that the season was over, they could resume dating.

Goten was on the couch talking to his girlfriend on the phone, while Bulma and ChiChi sat in the kitchen having tea, "Why can't he go after a girl that hasn't had a boyfriend? I married my first boyfriend." Chichi said with a sigh. Bulma patted her friend's back and smiled as she watched Goten flirt.

"Hey let's go out, if you're not too busy we can meet up somewhere right now" Goten suggested, crossing one leg over another. ChiChi covered her face in shame, mortified with how forward her son was.

"Just name the place and I'll be there" Goten said, nodding as he listening to her instructions, "I know the spot! Sounds good, babe. I'll see you in a few!" The young Son hung up the phone and waved at his mom and Bulma, "I'll see you two later."

"Go get her tiger!" Bulma said, high fiving him on his way out.

"Goten! Be careful with those city girls!" Chichi yelled.

"Mom give me a break..." Goten sighed, turning to jog down the hall. While jogging through the Capsule Corporation complex, Goten ran into Vegeta, "Hey Vegeta, what's up?"

The Saiyan Prince didn't respond. As Goten turned to leave, Vegeta called out, "Wait a second. Notice anything different?" As he moved a hand from his mouth.

"Not really, why?" earning a hard stare from Vegeta, "Well, I gotta get going, this is one girl you don't want to keep waiting!" Goten said as he ran down the hall.

* * *

"Well, well. Don't you look especially handsome today, hun" Bulma flirted. She watched her husband walk into the room, wearing a red long sleeve shirt showing off his muscles and black pants.

"Thank you," Vegeta smiled.

"Do you notice anything different about Vegeta today, Chichi?" Bulma asked.

"Not really?" Chichi said looking at Vegeta, looking for anything different. His hair was starting to grow out after the accident with the sword, but otherwise he looked the same.

"I shaved my mustache, you idiot!" Vegeta yelled. The Saiyan Prince, stormed out of the room as the two women started giggling.

"Did he shave it for any special reason?" Chichi asked.

"You could say that" Bulma said, "Bra told him he looked like a total geek the other day. It crushed him, so he shaved the damn thing off."

Around the corner, Vegeta listened to his wife and ChiChi laugh at his expense. "Earth women!" Vegeta growled. Maybe now would be a good time for some training.

* * *

Goten jogged to the park Paresu had suggested, which was only a few blocks away from Capsule Corporation. He walked around for a few moments, before finding her in a flower garden, leaning over to smell a blooming pink flower. He watched her for a moment, before tapping her shoulder. "Hey Babe," he said as the brunette turned and smiled at him. She was wearing a yellow summer dress with suede boots, with her hair loose and almost no makeup.

"Hey, you," Paresu smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, causing the young man to blush. Noticing his crimson expression, she giggled and kissed him on the lips, lingering for a moment. "Goten, you there?" she asked as she pulled away.

Goten shook his head and hugged his girlfriend, "Sorry about that, I missed you."

"I missed you too." she smiled, "What do you want to do today?"

"Do you like ice cream?" he asked. She nodded, "Great! What's your favorite flavor?"

"Vanilla."

"Mine too! Let's find somewhere to sit and I'll grab us some cones," he suggested. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked through the park. Finding a bench, Paresu went to sit as Goten ran across the street to order their ice cream.

"Be careful, Goten!" Paresu said from the bench across from a road as Goten hurried back.

"I will!" Goten said, waiting for the traffic to slow down before crossing back to her. He handed her a cone, "Here you go, one sugar one. I got you a gluten-free one."

"You're teasing me, no spoon?" she said, taking the cone. She twisted the cone in her hand, looking for a hidden spoon or maybe a straw to eat it with.

"Uh it's a cone, silly. You don't need a spoon." Goten said confused.

"I've never eaten ice cream like this, doesn't it make your finger real sticky?" she said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're kidding right?" he asked. She shook her head. "Oh, well you eat it by licking it," Goten said, licking his cone to demonstrate.

"Oh gosh, I'm embarrassed! You lick it, huh?" she stared at the cone with a determined look. The brunette hesitantly leaned in to lick to cone, before looking back at Goten, "Stop giving me that look."

"What? You're adorable," Goten grinned. Just then, an explosion in the distance caught their attention.

"What was that?" Paresu asked, watching the smoke rise from a nearby building.

"I'm not sure," Goten said. Whatever it was, he didn't want it to take away from their date.

"Do you think it could be some sort of festival?" she suggested.

"Probably not, 'Su. But I like the way you look at things" Goten said. She raised an eyebrow at him, earning a grin from Goten, "I mean you're just so positive. Let's finish our cones, yeah?"

"Sure," she patted the seat next to her, "Sit with me, silly." Goten joined her on the bench, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders as they enjoyed their ice cream.

* * *

Off elsewhere in West City, Hercule Satan arrived to investigate a supposed terrorist attack. There were reports of a large, blonde haired man attacking civilians and blowing up buildings near the downton. As Earth's two-time World Savior, it was his job to protect the citizens from danger. He just hoped that it was something he could handle. It wasn't just his age, but after seeing the damage Cell and Majin Buu had caused, Hercule knew that some things he just wasn't up to.

* * *

"So you've never had an ice cream cone?" Goten asked as he and Paresu walked through West City.

"My parents hated having sweets in the house," she answered, "And I usually avoid them now because of my job."

"Wow, that's crazy." he answered, before his stomach grumbled, "Want to grab dinner in a bit? I could go for a cheeseburger."

"Do you eat it with a fork or a spoon?" she teased with a coquettish smile.

"You're adorable," Goten said as he reached out to hold her hand. The couple continued their walk, not noticing the rush of people who were running in the opposite direction.


	8. Chapter 7 - Baby's Arrival Pt 2

The couple turned the corner to see a large crowd surrounding what appeared to be two men. From what they could understand from the murmurs, it appeared that the two men had been fighting. As Goten moved closer, he saw that it was Mr. Satan, Gohan's father-in-law.

"Hey Mr. Satan, how's it going?" Goten asked as he approached Hercule, "it's been awhile, I think I last saw you at Pan's birthday!"

Hercule jumped up and started laughing, "Hey big guy! Now you're going to get it, my disciple has arrived and is going to tear you apart."

"Nice move, you're not as young as you used to be. So where's this disciple of yours?" Goten asked, looking around, "I hope he's well trained. This guy is huge!" Goten focused back on Hercule, who gave him a sly smile and a wink.

"What! Me? Since when?!"

"Look Goten, this guy's nuts and blew up half of downtown West City already. Can you handle him, pretty please?"

"Listen to me very carefully. You didn't teach me, my dad did." he said, raising his hand to hold up two fingers, "Secondly, I'm on a date." Goten's eyes wandered to Paresu to see her talking with the man Hercule had been having the standoff with. As his eyes started to glow, Goten rushed over and kicked the man, knocking him a few yards away.

"That's my boy!" Hercule yelled as the crowd started to cheer. Goten rushed to Paresu's side and grabbed her shoulders firmly.

"Are you okay? Did he say anything weird to you?"

"I'm fine. And no, I don't think - oh wait, he did! He asked where he could find the...Saiyans?" she answered, making Goten's heart stop, "I have no idea what he was talking about, so I recommended this little variety shop downtown. They have all kinds of cool stuff!"

 _Who is this guy? And how does he know about us._ Goten wondered as he scanned the crowd. _There's gotta be more of them._

It was then that Goten jumped out of the way, avoiding a quick punch to the side of his head, "I see your with that other guy." Another man from the crowd joined, also aiming for Goten, "What the hell is wrong with these guys?" As both men charged towards Goten, lifted and threw Paresu in the air, before knocking both of his opponents out.

"Oh hey there, are you okay?" he smiled once she landed in his arms.

"Wow, I have goosebumps all over! I've never had someone hold me like this."

"I hope that's okay," Goten chuckled as he helped her regain her balance.

* * *

The police arrived shortly after and rounded up the three men. Goten and Paresu stayed long enough to provide a quick statement. "Well boys, I hope you learned a lesson," Hercule laughed as the crowd cheered. The cops saluted and thanked Hercule, revving up the crowd more, "Let it be known that Hercule, the World's Champion, is still alive and well!"

Goten shook his head and smiled at the sight, "Hercule sure knows how to rev up a crowd. Did you know that my brother Gohan is married to his daughter?"

"No way, that's so cool!"

"Yeah I guess so. Hey, want to grab an early dinner?" Goten asked as he put his hand on her back. As they started to walk away, Goten paused.

"Babe, what is it?" Paresu asked.

"There's more of them," Goten whispered, "Look whoever you are-"

Another man had run towards Goten and punched him in the face, sending the young man flying backwards.

"NO!" Paresu yelled.

"You caught me off guard for a second" Goten said as he picked himself up. The attacker started cackling hysterically and bent over as if in horrible pain. He shrilly screamed as a green glow started emitting from him, as well as bright lights. Paresu ran behind Goten and watched in horror as the scene unfolded. The crowd had already begun running for their lives, with Hercule too paralyzed to move. Soon a grey-ish creature emerges from the man on the ground.

"You there. You're a Saiyan, aren't you?" the creature asked.

"Maybe, but that's none of your fucking business," Goten snapped.

 _What the hell?_ Paresu thought, suddenly feeling lightheaded. Hercule caught the brunette as she lost conscious.

"Oh it definitely is. You're energy signal is similar to the one called Goku."

Goten wasn't expecting that. The young man took a hesitant step forward, "How do you know my father?"

"Does it matter? Let's get to the point, I'm here to confiscate your body so I can defeat your father. Sound good?" the creature asked.

 _This guy is stronger than anything we've ever fought before_ , Goten thought. The young man turned to Hercule and pointed towards a clearing, "Mr. Satan, please get Paresu out of here. I'm going to have to fight this guy?" Hercule nodded and adjusted his grasp on Paresu before running off for safety.

The creature started laughing maniacally, before charging up strong enough to knock buildings over. Goten took off into the air to avoid the damage, but was horrified to see what had become of West City, "Alright, I'm going to teach you a lesson."

* * *

Hercule had laid Paresu against a motorcycle near where the demolished Higashi Hotel once stood. From there, he had a good vantish to watch Goten and the alien creature fight. He briefly wondered if he should call Gohan or Videl as backup, before dismissing the thought, _Goten's a strong enough guy._

"What happened?" a soft voice asked. Hercule turned to see that Paresu had awoken from her fainting spell and was struggling to her feet. He ran over to lend her a hand and motioned for her to sit.

"Woah there, ma'am. You just fainted, you should probably take it easy," Hercule suggested. As the brunette sat on the bike, she looked up in the sky to see Goten floating.

"It wasn't a dream then," Paresu whispered. She took out her phone and dialed a number, "Goten it's me, you're not hurt are you?"

"Hey 'Su, I'm fine. Let me take care of this guy and then I'd love to finish our date," Goten said, unaware of the alien creature flying towards him.

"Goten look out, he's coming right for you!" Paresu yelled, "Get out of there!"

The brunette watched as her boyfriend dodged the creatures attacks. As the alien approached Goten again, he served a hard punch that threw him to the ground, creating a deep crater beneath them.

"That was so cool! I never expected that from you" Paresu said in her phone. It was then that Hercule grabbed her phone, "That's my boy! You sure learned a lot from me."

Purple blasts shot from the ground, hitting Goten a few times in the arm. Paresu gasped in horror, before Goten reassured her it was just a scratch, "Let me finish this guy, I'll call you back." Paresu and Hercule watched from the ground as Goten shot bright bursts of energy from his hands. After one final, bright attack, Goten floated down from sky. The dust cleared to reveal the young man walking towards Paresu and Hercule.

"Goten, you're alright!" she smiled. The brunette, ran up to her boyfriend and kissed him lightly on the cheek, before she began to bandage his arm with a kerchief from her pocket, "That was incredible, but I was worried about you. Why don't we go get something to eat?"

Goten frowned at her and stared her down. _This isn't like him at all,_ she thought.

"You did one hell of a job, Goten," Hercule smiled. Goten turned to the older man and gave him an icy glare, before taking off in the air.

"Wait, where the hell are you going?" Paresu called. She turned to Hercule, "Did he just ditch me?"

Hercule was just as confused as the model was, "He doesn't seem like himself."


	9. Chapter 8 - Home

**Writer's Note:** Apologies for the delay. I have had carpal tunnel syndromes in my right hand, so I took a bit of a break from typing. This chapter was also hard to write, even though it's a recap of what happens in GT, because it takes away from the story I actually want to be writing. But I feel that I need it to give context to the overall story.

* * *

Trunks, Goku, and Pan watched the Earth appear as the Grand Tour spaceship zoomed towards their were finally going home.

Pan couldn't wait to see her parents again. She had been dreaming of her grandmother's cooking, from the stuffed pork buns to the mustard green soup. The food over the last few months had left much to be desired for. While Trunks and her grandfather could cook a few things, their food options were limited. There was only so much alien cuisine they were willing to experiment with during their journey as well.

Pan hoped her parents wouldn't be too mad at her, and would instead welcome her back with big hugs. The young girl smiled, excited at what was to come. She looked over to see her grandfather wearing a similar grin, and Trunks silent. She nudged him with her shoulder, "Trunks what are you thinking about?"

The older demi-saiyan mind thought of what was waiting for him. It had been a long time, close to a year, and he couldn't wait to get off the damn ship. No doubt Bra, his mother, and perhaps his father would be waiting for him when the ship landed at Capsule Corporation. The communications tracker had been damaged, so they couldn't send a message, but he had no doubt they could sense the trio's arrival.

He wondered about his job. Would his mom throw him back into the swing of things? Trunks secretly hoped that she enjoyed being back in control of Capsule Corp and would give him time off.

He wondered about Marron and Goten. He had missed his friends during his time in space, their adventures together and the fun they always had.

He wondered about her.

Trunks loved over to see Pan smiling up at him, waiting for him to share his thoughts. He smirked back at her and nudged back, "Just thinking how it's been so long, Pan. I can't wait to be back." The lavender-haired man turned and walked back to the control panel to check their eta. It would be less than an hour before they were back.

 _It's good to be back._

* * *

The spaceship slowly descended on the Lookout. Dende and Mr. Popo waited patiently a few yards away as the fuel cooled down and the spaceship turned off. As the doors of the vessel opened, the duo approached the ship and smiled up at their guests, "Welcome back, Goku."

"Thanks Dende! It's good to be back" chirped Goku as he and Pan jumped out of the ship. In her hands, Pan carried the sack containing the Black Star Dragon Balls. Dende held out his hands as Pan approached, motioning for her to give him the bag. The young girl held back, and nervously looked at her grandfather.

"Wait Gramps! Don't you want to use these to go back to your normal size?"

"Well I guess we can," Goku considered, "But if we do we have to go traveling through the galaxy again. I'm not really in the mood to do that."

"Aw c'mon, Gramps. I'm sure Trunks would do it again!" Pan pleaded, frowning slightly when a loud "no" boomed from inside the spaceship.

"Guess your grandmother is just going to have to get used to me being little for a while," Goku chuckled. Pan sighed and handed the Dragon Balls to Dende. Goku tapped her shoulder and smiled up at his granddaughter, "Let's go home Pan, I'm starved."

"We'll put these away so no one finds them," Dende reassured, "You guys go home. I'm sure your families are waiting for you."

"I'm going to head off towards Capsule Corp with the ship," Trunks called out.

"Alright then, let's go!" Pan cheered, running towards the edge of the Lookout to fly off. Goku raced towards her, coaxing his granddaughter into a race towards Mount Paozu.

* * *

Trunks jumped out of the spaceship, relieved to be home again. The young man looked around, realizing his family was nowhere to be seen.

"Well Giru, there goes our big homecoming. I get Dad not coming, but I figured Bra and Mom would want to be here."

Giru began beeping frantically, the red button of his eye turning a brighter color. Trunks sensed the ki around him, but was relieved to see only his father was in the main vicinity. Trunks looked up towards the catwalk to see his father staring down at them, "Dad, you're here!"

"Welcome back, son," the saiyan prince gruffly responded. Vegeta nodded his head towards the door, "Your mother and sister are in the family room. Let's go."

Trunks and Giru floated up to join Vegeta as they headed towards the family home. Trunks grinned from ear to ear, knowing what was awaiting him. His father's quick pace made him wonder if his mom had put together the works.

Vegeta opened the door to the living room, stepping aside to let Trunks enter. Trunks looked around and spotted his mother exiting the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hand.

Bulma stared her son down, her once warm blue-eyes now cold. _I wonder what's bothering her,_ Trunks thought. He wondered if she had a fight with his father again. Bulma took a sip of her tea, before sneering at her son, "You've been a bad boy, Trunks."

"Okay, I'll bite... what did I do wrong now?"

"Your father will deal with you," Bulma said as she turned away, walking towards another room in the complex.

Trunks looked towards his father with confusion painted all over his face, "Dad, what's she talking about?"

"Quiet boy," Vegeta snarled. The saiyan man crossed his arms as his hair faded to white. Red lines appeared over his face. At the look of shock painted over Trunks' face, Vegeta chuckled, "Remember me?"

"No, it can't be," Trunks took a step backwards.

"Do you recall how I was inside your body?" Vegeta asked, "What you didn't realize is that while I was inside you I left something behind."

Trunks fell onto his hands as he lost control of his body. Vegeta chuckled and moved towards his son, stepping on him with his left leg, "Don't resist it, it's futile saiyan." Trunks realized he was losing consciousness, and tried to turn super saiyan, but his body had already lost control.

Everything was a blur after that.


	10. Chapter 9 - Evacuation

**Chapter Nine - Evacuation:**

 **Author's Note:** I don't feel particularly like going through the entire DBGT episodes, just did enough to give more context for the storyline. This chapter picks up after Baby is killed and as the Z fighters find out Earth was going to blow up in two weeks.

* * *

It was always one crisis after another. With Baby finally defeated, Trunks assumed everything would be back to normal. He could finally return home and enjoy a cold beer, even returning to his job at Capsule Corp didn't seem so bad. But what he forgot was that Baby made another wish on the Black Star Dragon Balls. In two weeks, the Earth would explode because the one-year time limit was reset.

Pan had suggested, rather optimistically, that they could return to space. It had taken them nine months the first time to collect all seven balls, there was no way they could do it in two weeks. _We'd be lucky to get ONE in two weeks_ , Trunks thought with a frown.

Trunks watched Goku stare up at the ceiling in confusion. He knew what Goku was thinking, because he was thinking the same thing. _We failed_.

He saw Goten pacing the room and biting his thumbnail nervously. Gohan was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, deep in thought. Poor Pan had tears in her eyes, no doubt terrified at the thought of what was going to come. Trunks walked over wrapped his arms around her, leaning low to whisper in her ear, "It's going to be okay, Pan."

The young teenager cried in Trunks' arms as he rubbed her back up and down. The only thing he could do was be strong for his friend right now.

The young lilac-haired man's ears perked up as he heard a ring on the communications channel. Releasing Pan, Trunks walked up to the screen and accepted the signal. On to other end was his mother, "Trunks, is everyone there? I think I know how we're going to fix everything."

Bulma explained her plan. With Goku's new transformation, he would be able to transport people from Earth to the Tuffle planet in the next two weeks. Both Earth and Planet Plant had large human transport vessels, which the people of Earth could book passage on to travel safely.

"The issue is going to be convincing everyone to go," Gohan nervously chuckled, "It's not like many people know what's going on."

Gohan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see his father-in-law grinning at him, "It's my time to shine, Gohan."

Hercule explained his plan to everyone, who agreed to be onboard with the transport. By Bulma and Gohan's estimates, they would be able to safely move everyone in ten days.

It was time to get to work.

* * *

Goten droped onto Paresu's balcony, sighing as he ran a hand threw the spiky mass of black hair. Hercule had arranged a press conference earlier that day, announcing that the people of Earth needed to evacuate temporarily and that his "helpers" would be supervising transport.

 _I wonder if she's heard the news yet,_ he thought.

Reaching into his pocket, Goten pulled out a spare key to her apartment and unlocked the sliding glass door. As he walked inside he noticed all of the lights were off, save for the soft glow under her bedroom door. Goten quietly crossed the room and opened the door, smiling softly as he watched his girlfriend doze. Not wanting to disturb her, he walked over and ran his hand through her long brown hair, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. She smiles sweetly at her boyfriend and sat up, the bed sheet sliding down her chest to reveal an overly large yellow and green t-shirt with the words, "Goten Son" written in large black letters.

"I hope I didn't wake you, I just wanted to check on you," Goten softly smiles as he sits on the edge of the bed, "There's been a lot of weird stuff going on."

Paresu rubbed her boyfriend's arm up and down, "I saw Mr. Satan's announcement today while at Cocoa's. We've booked our transport for later this week. I assume you're going to help out with everything?"

Goten nodded, before bowing his head, "I didn't just come here to check on you... I owe you an apology for our date a few weeks ago."

"Don't be silly, Goten. Mr. Satan said you had to go fight that weird alien guy. And to be honest, I don't remember much after that." Paresu leaned over and kissed Goten on the cheek, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. The couple remained in the embrace for a few moments before Goten pulled away.

"There's some other stuff we should talk about," Goten started. It was time to tell her about who he really was. He had been dreading this conversation ever since they had become serious.

"Can it wait until morning?" she pouted, "It's already pretty late."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll stop by in the morning," Goten smiled as he started to get out of the bed. He stopped as her hand grabbed his and turned to face her. She rubbed his hand with her thumb and smiled sweetly at him.

"I want you to stay, silly. We can talk about this more before you head out."

The dark-haired man nodded with a smile, before he quickly removed his shirt and disposed of his pants, leaving him in his boxers. Paresu moved over to the other side of the bed and lifted the covers, letting Goten join her in bed. Once he was in bed, the brunette kissed her boyfriend lightly on the lips, before nuzzling into his chest. With his free arm, Goten leaned over and turned off the light before wrapping it back around his love.

 _I'll tell her everything tomorrow,_ Goten thought as he rubbed her back, _I just hope she accepts me._

* * *

The Z fighters successfully moved everyone over to the Tuffle planet with not a moment to spare. However, there was one casualty: Piccolo. The Namekian had elected to stay behind during Earth's final moments, as his life was tied to the existence of the Black Star Dragon Balls. After Porunga wished the Earth back and everyone was transported back to Earth, Bulma suggested a party to celebrate everyone's success as well as Piccolo's memory.

Trunks arrived shortly after work, still wearing the tan suit from his earlier business meetings. He was in the process of undoing his tie when Marron arrived, having come straight from a photoshoot. The blonde placed her belongings on a chair before running up to Trunks to give him a hug.

"Hey Mar, it's good to see you," Trunks smiled as he lifted her up from the ground, earning a squeal from the blonde, "How's it going?"

"I've been great! Work has been busy and I started seeing someone recently. After I showed Mizumaki my makeup portfolio, she let me start doing makeup for some of the models!"

"That's amazing!" Trunks smiled. He knew Marron always wanted to be a makeup artist, and her position as a dressing assistant had been temporary, "Let me get changed out of this monkey suit."

Trunks returned to his room and changed into a blue sweater and grey khakis. As he returned to join Marron, a sky car parked near the festivities on the lawn. The two watched as Goten hopped out of the driver's side and opened the passenger side to help Paresu, who looked beautiful as ever in a white sundress and leather sandals. Trunks and Marron smiled as the couple approached them and the two men embraced.

"Hey, bro! How's it going?" Trunks smiled as Goten hugged him. The two had been so busy with the evacuations that they hadn't had a chance to catch up.

"Amazing, and it's easy to see why," Goten grinned at Paresu, who giggled and shook her head.

"Hey Trunks, it's been a while" the brunette said as she embraced Trunks and kissed his cheek. He inhaled her flower perfume and rubbed her back lightly, resisting the temptation to pull her closer. She released him to give Marron a warm hug, before suggesting that the two grab a drink.

Goten and Trunks stayed behind to watch the two women walk away, before smiling at one another, "So things are going well, Ten?"

"Everything is good, shes amazing" Goten smiled distantly.

Trunks blinked and leaned in to whisper, "What is it?"

"Well, I'm just worried about how things are going to go today. She knows about the Saiyan thing, but it's a whole other thing to see it."

"She knows?" Trunks raised an eyebrow, "So you two are pretty serious."

"Yeah, I figured it was time. I've met her family a couple of times, and now she's meeting everyone."

Trunks nodded as Goten went on about the details of his relationship. He wasn't terribly interested, especially knowing that the brunette was involved with his best friend. "What about you? Seeing anyone?" Goten grinned Trunks.

Trunks snickered, "I was in space for a year idiot."

"Oh yeah, whoops!"

Paresu and Marron came back a few minutes later with their drinks, as well as an extra for each man. The brunette smiled sweetly at her boyfriend before saying, "Babe, I don't want to be rude, but are you going to introduce me to everyone?"

"Yeah, let's go find my parents." Goten waved at both Marron and Trunks, "We'll see you guys later!"

Trunks and Marron waved goodbye as the couple walked towards where Goku was sitting, a mountain of food in front of him. Trunks looked quizzically at Marron, "Are you still into him?"

Marron snorted, "I have a boyfriend now, Trunks." The blonde pulled out her phone to show her friend a picture of her new boyfriend. In the photo, a dark haired, muscular man had his arms wrapped around her. He had a big, goofy grin and dark eyes. At first glance, you'd think it was Goten.

"What's his name?" Trunks asked. He was leaning towards a G name.

"Gem, why?"

 _I knew it!_ Trunks thought, before smiling down knowingly at Marron, "He looks alot like Goten"

Marron wrinkled her nose and put her phone away, "I didn't notice."

Trunks snickered as Marron stared him down. The blonde crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, waiting for his laughing to subside. Once he was calm, she whispered, "So are you over her?"

"Who, Mai?"

"No you idiot." she whispered, nodding her head in the direction of Goten and Paresu. The two watched as Goten introduced her to ChiChi, who much to their surprise embraced the brunette.

Trunks sighed and looked at Marron, "Not exactly, but it's not gonna happen."

Marron rubbed her friend's arm warmly, "What about Mai? Maybe you guys could get reacquainted."

Trunks chuckled at the thought, "We'll see, Mar. Why don't we go join the others?"

* * *

Trunks stared at the number on his phone and debated if he really wanted to send the message. It wasn't a flirty message, but he knew she wouldn't necessarily appreciate it. She had been on his mind on and off, ever since Marron suggested they get "reacquainted." Sighing, Trunks hit the send button on the phone.

He checked his phone on and off through the rest of the day, hoping that she would reply. It wasn't until he was getting ready for bed that he heard his phone buzz. He pulled his phone out and read her reply, "Hey, it's been awhile! How've you been?"

Trunks smiled to himself and typed back a reply, "I'm good, just getting back from a long trip. What's new with you?"

Her next message made him take a step back. It was a photo of her hand with a diamond engagement ring shining brightly at him. Trunks forced a smile as he typed his congratulations, before falling back into his bed with a sigh, Trunks closed his eyes as his relationship with Mai played in his mind. Meeting each other, their first kiss, the trips together. And then the fights, the breakups, the makeups. The final breakup.

She was going to get married to another man. He wasn't disappointed, Trunks was happy for her and it didn't feel like he missed his chance. Because his mind was on another, dark-haired beauty.


	11. Chapter 10 - Tenkaichi

**Chapter Ten - Tribulations & Tenkaichi: **

**Author's Note:** The next few chapters will take place during the final two sagas in DBGT, with some filler scenes that are original. Like earlier chapters, I will give a brief overview of what's going on in the universe, but won't dive in with a plot overview. I think Amazon is streaming GT if you want to watch the episodes.

As a note, I know a few people have mentioned the relationship bracket between Trunks, Goten, and Paresu. While this fiction is rated M, I don't want every chapter to be a lemon (or even hint at one). So please be patient, I promise it'll be worth it :)

* * *

It was the same damn dream every night. Trunks groaned as he blinked up at the dark ceiling. He turned his head to the left to read the clock. 4:37. Two whole hours before he was supposed to get up.

Every night for the past few weeks since he returned to Earth, he had the same dream. A dark-haired woman with soft, pink lips, that teased him over and over again. Trunks closed his eyes, trying to remember every detail of tonight's torture. The curve of her breasts, the soft creamy skin. He could almost imagine the smell of her perfume and the feel of her lips against his body.

 _Why the fuck does it have to be her?_

It was bad enough when the dreams were about someone he knew, but her? Goten would kill him if he knew.

Trunks stared down at the bulge in his briefs and sighed. Deciding that sleep was off the table, the lavender-haired man lept out of bed and walked towards his private bathroom. As he started the shower, Trunks kicked off his underwear and pulled a towel from the cupboard.

 _Looks like I'm getting an early start today._

* * *

Pan slapped her alarm clock on the second buzz and lept out of bed with a grin on her face. Today was the Tenkaichi Budōkai, and she was finally old enough to compete in the adult's division. Pan ran over to her closet and pulled out her fighting Gi, an orange uniform similar to the one her grandfather, father, and uncle used to train in.

As she slipped into her blue training shoes and pulled her long black hair in a ponytail, the young teenager looked in the mirror with a smile and grinned at her reflection, "You've got this, Pan."

"Pan, breakfast is ready!" her mother called from the kitchen. Pan ran downstairs to see her father and grandparents eating breakfast in the dining room, her mother bringing over a large serving of eggs and pancakes. The teenager kissed everyone's cheek before grabbing a plate and serving herself a healthy portion, but not before noticing a family member missing.

"Where's Uncle Goten?" Pan asked.

"I think he stayed with his girlfriend last night. Maybe they'll join us after the tournament for dinner." Gohan replied, turning a page in the Satan City Chronicles.

ChiChi snorted, "I hope they're being careful. I'd hate for them to have children before they're married."

"Mom, let's not go there right now. Today is Pan's day." Gohan chuckled lightly, but eyed his mother carefully. If he pushed back too hard she would explode and take it out on everyone. But if he answered just right, she would back down.

"You're right, Gohan!" she nodded and turned to her granddaughter, "I'm so proud of you, Pan. If you win, you'll be able to use that money in college and become a scholar. Just like your father!"

"Thanks Grandma, but I don't want to be a scholar."

Goku looked up from his food, a piece of bacon hanging from his lips, "You can be a fighter like me or your Grandpa Hercule!"

Pan shook her head, "Maybe, but I'm fifteen gramps! I have time to think about it. Right Papa?"

"That's right, and whatever you do your mom and I will be proud," Gohan reassured. Videl brought in a second platter of food, which all three saiyans helped themselves to eagerly. ChiChi took Videl's place in the kitchen, letting the younger woman grab a plate for herself before all the food was demolished. Once the meal was clear, they took off in the sky car towards Papaya Island.

* * *

The light streamed in through the windows in the small apartment, waking Goten from his slumber. The young man stretched and looked around the room to see clothes thrown upon the floor from the previous night, and a sleeping Paresu to his right. The brunette was breathing softly, with one arm tucked under her head and the other across his chest, her legs tangled with his.

 _I'm one lucky son of a bitch,_ he thought. Goten smiled smugly to himself as he thought of their escapades the previous night. With one hand, he began to rub her thigh up and down, indulging in the feeling of her soft skin and kissed her forehead softly, knowing that it would be enough to wake the light sleeper. Paresu murmured softly and snuggled closer to her boyfriend.

"Hey sexy," he whispered, knowing that she loved the nickname.

"Mhmmm, what time is it?"

Goten pulled away and picked up his cellphone, "It's a little after 10."

She yawned and removed herself from his embrace, the bed sheets falling to her lap as she sat up, "So late?"

"Well, we didn't get to _sleep_ until it was pretty late," Goten emphasized with a grin, taking in her naked glory. Following his stare, the brunette smirked and leaned in for a long kiss. She playfully teased his lips with the tip of her tongue as she pulled away, giving him a delicious smile.

"So besides me, what do you want to do today?"

"Well, we could get food."

"Goten, do you only think about sex and food?"

"What can I say, I like to eat," he wiggled his eyebrows at her, earning a giggle from the brunette until his stomach grumbled.

"How does brunch sound?" she suggested. Noticing his reaction at the idea of food, she placed another quick kiss on his lips and moved to get out of bed, but Goten flipped her over so he was hovering over her.

The young demi saiyan leaned down to kiss her lips, his tongue slipping in to meet hers. She ran her hands and moaned into the kiss as his hands moved to cup and squeeze her breasts. As he moved to lick and nip at her neck, the brunette's breathing became heavier and ragged. Goten slowly began to move down her body, trailing soft kisses against her breasts and stomach, before nuzzling at the junction between her thighs and giving her a roguish grin.

"We're not going to make it to brunch."

* * *

Trunks sank lower into his seat as the board of directors discussed quarterly projections. After his cold shower, he had enjoyed a silent breakfast with his father, before the older man returned to the Gravity Chamber for training, and Trunks had a few hours to catch up on the briefs and spending reports that had piled up on his desk. What was originally scheduled to be a half hour meeting had quickly become two hours. Trunks had tried texting his secretary privately looking for any reason, even a false emergency, to get him out of the cramped conference room. But either she was working on other deliverables (less likely) or his mother had intercepted her and instructed the younger woman not to give in (very likely).

The demisaiyan leaned back in his chair, his mind searching for the perfect distraction, before it dawned on him. The young man stood up and firmly placed his hands on the table, earning the attention from the board, "Gentleman, I'm going to take a leave of absence. Not sure how long I'm going to be gone, but it's effective immediately."

The room remained silent for several moments, but Trunks remained firm. As he began to worry that they would call his bluff, panic ensued and the chairmen began arguing back and forth. Trunks watched the chaos unfold before him with a smile on his lips, before quietly exiting to the terrace and taking off towards Papaya Island. As he took off in the air, he discarded his restricting suit jacket and necktie.

 _Maybe I'll get there in time to enter myself._

* * *

At a popular burger joint in West City, a young woman sat alone at a table, playing with her phone while waiting for her boyfriend to return with their lunches. If it wasn't for his voracious appetite and her desolate fridge, they wouldn't have made it out of the apartment until dinner.

"Sorry it took so long, 'Su" Goten said setting two trays with down on the table. One tray had a pile of cheeseburgers and fries, with the other have a single cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.

"No problem," Paresu smiled and tucked her phone into her purse, "But babe, how do you expect me to eat this? There's no forks or knives…"

"You eat it with your hands, silly!"

"And you know I can't eat bread." she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I got you a gluten-free bun," he grinned, picking up the first of his burgers, "Do you want me to demonstrate?"

"Please do… wait, Goten, look who's on TV!" Paresu said, her attention diverted to the television mounted in the corner. Goten lowered his cheeseburger to look at the screen, seeing Mr. Satan talking with the tournament announcer.

"Mr. Satan, there's a rumor floating around that you're going to retire after today competition. Can you confirm if the rumors are true?" the interviewer asked, pointing his mic at Hercule.

"Yes, the rumors are true." Hercule nodded, "I'm not getting any younger, so I plan to retire today and let the champion take my place as World Champion and protector."

"This is shocking news! Do you have any thoughts on who the new champion will be?"

The couple continued to watch the interview with half interest, both hungrily eating the food in front of them. As Paresu dipped a fry in a dipping sauce, she gave her boyfriend a cheeky smile, "So are you going to become the new World Champion."

'Hah! As long as I don't compete in the World Tournament, I don't have to take his place" Goten crumbled the wrapper of his second burger, opening his third and biting in hungrily.

"Well, you're my champion."

"Thanks babe, I love you" he said, his mouth full of food.

She shook her head at his manners, knowing it was useless to reprimand him, "I love you too."

* * *

Pan sat with her parents, grandparents, and Trunks in the stadium enjoying an assortment of popcorn and sweets as they watched the semifinals of the tournament. During Pan's match, Trunks had joined the group, having taken a "vacation," from Capsule Corporation. Although he was too late to enter the ring, the young saiyan was happy to join the Son family in the festivities.

"So who do you think is going to win, Pan?" Gohan asked his daughter. During her match, Pan had forfeited, having decided that she didn't want to claim her grandfather's title as "World Protector."

Pan pulled the lollipop from her mouth and give it a quick lick, "If Majuub makes it to the final round, and it's him and Grandpa Hercule… I don't know. I mean obviously Majuub is stronger, but Buu would never want to hurt Grandpa."

"My money is on Uub," Trunks offered, tossing a few kernels in his mouth. On the stadium, the round had just finished, Majuub having been announced as the finalist to fight Hercule, "Thank god he took that ridiculous Papaya Man outfit off."

"Hey I thought it was cool!" Gohan turned to Trunks with a confused expression.

"Gohan, you thought your Great Saiyaman costume was "rad."

"Because it was!" Gohan pouted and turned to Videl, "Right sweetheart?"

In response, Videl sipped her drink and raised an eyebrow at her husband, before turning away to hide her laughter. Gohan sighed and lowered his head, _I was cool._

"So after the tournament, are we going to get dinner?" Pan asked, looking between her parents. The two nodded at her and her grandfather turned to face them, his attention captured by the mention of food.

"Can we go to that all you can eat yakiniku place?" Goku grinned, "The one with the really great beef tongue."

"Sounds good to me, Goku. Let me pick up the tab." Trunks offered to the cheers of the older Son, before pulling out his cellphone, "I'll see if Goten is free too." Trunks exited the seating area as the phone rang, wanting to be in a quieter area to better hear his friend.

"Hey Trunks," a warm, feminine voice answered, throwing Trunks off. It took him a moment to realize who he was talking to.

"Oh, uhhhh, hey Paresu," he stammered, before swallowing, "I meant to call Goten, wanted to see if he wanted to get dinner with everyone. You too, if you're around!"

She giggled on the other end, "He's in the bathroom. We just had lunch, but you know Goten and his never ending appetite. I'd count on him joining you guys."

Trunks looked at his watch and raised an eyebrow, "It's almost three, that's a little late for lunch."

"Yeah, we stayed up pretty late last night."

"Oh, doing what?" Trunks asked before mentally cursing himself.

"Ummm," she paused, "Just hanging out. Anyways, Goten's back, hold on." He heard her say his name on the other end of the line before Goten answered.

"Hey man, so dinner tonight?"

"Yup, your dad mentioned yakiniku. You down?" Trunks grinned, as he leaned over the railing to watch the tournament. Mr. Satan and Majuub had entered the ring and were doing warm ups as the crowd rallied.

"You know it, what time?"

"Well it's the final match now. So maybe meet us in two hours at Manpuku!" Trunks hung up the phone after Goten agreed to dinner, and returned to his seat to watch the match play out.

To Trunk's surprise, Mr. Satan overpowered Majuub and held his title of champion, earning raucous cheers from the stadium's spectators. The Son family and Trunks hurried out of the arena as the crowd swarmed to the arena, hoping to get a photo with the Earth's multi time champion. As the group walked towards the restaurant, Trunks hung behind to watch Goku and Chichi congratulate Pan on her fights in the budokai, as well as Gohan and Videl strolling hand in hand.

The lavender-haired man couldn't help but smile at the scene of his friends and second family in front of him.

 _I may not have her, but damn do I have it good._


	12. Chapter 12 - P&P

**Chapter Eleven - P & P**

 **Author's Note:** This is probably my favorite filler that I've written thus far, partly because the relationship I'm showing here is not shown often enough (imo) in fanfics.

* * *

"Hey mom, what are you up to today," Pan said as she walked into the kitchen. The teenager grabbed an apple from a fruit bowl and leaned over the kitchen island. Her mother was sitting in a bar stool, typing away on her laptop.

"Well, I'm going to help your father prepare for his conference." Videl paused her typing to look at Pan with a smile, "And you are going to lunch with Paresu."

"Says who?"

"Says me. She's been dating your uncle for over a year now and she wants to get to know you. So I told her you'd like to go out to lunch with her, maybe even some shopping."

Pan wrinkled her nose at the idea, "Ugh, you know I hate shopping. Paresu and I have nothing in common. And she's so... dumb."

"She's not stupid, Pan. Maybe a little scatterbrained, but she's very sweet," Videl sighed, "So try and be nice today."

"Alright, fine," Pan chewed her apple, "When will she be here"

"In an hour, so please get ready" Videl sipped her coffee and returned to the documents on her laptop, leaving Pan to finish her breakfast. The teenager returned to her room and pulled out her outfit for the day, a red and yellow baseball shirt with grey jeans. Once dressed, she propped herself against a pillow and watched videos on her phone, until she heard her mother calling her downstairs.

At the dining table, Paresu was sitting with Videl sipping on a cup of coffee. The brunette smiled up at Pan as the teen sat down to join them, "Hey Pan! Your mom was just telling me some old family stories"

"Oh god, what stories?"

"Dont worry, its about your uncle" her mom reassured, before turning to the model, "You know how easily teens get embarrassed."

"Mother!"

Paresu laughed and turned her attention back to Pan, "My dad and sister used to do the same thing to me when I was your age. You want to head out?"

Pan shrugged, "Whatever."

"Pan," Video cautioned in a low voice. The young teenager rolled her eyes at her mother.

Sensing the rising tension between the mother daughter duo, Paresu leaned in and put a hand on Pan's arm, "I know a great little place near the fashion district. We could check out the shops and get ice cream after."

"Works for me, let's go" Pan said as she pushed out of her chair. Videl waved from the door as the two got into Paresu's car and set off for lunch.

* * *

"I'm so excited that we're doing this!" Paresu chirped, "Do you want to listen to any music? Or actually, tell me about you!"

Pan leaned back into her seat and looked at the brunette with her arms crossed, "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Well you're fifteen right? Gosh I remember when I was fifteen," she said in a brief moment of reverie, before smiling briefly at Pan "Tell me about your friends. Or do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not interested."

"Girlfriend? No judgement if you do, it's natural to be curious. Some of the models I work with are -"

Pan's mouth hung open before interrupting the older woman, "I'm straight. I'm just not interested in anyone."

"Gotcha! There's no rush. What about hobbies? Do you train like your Grandpa? Or both grandfathers I guess..."

 _God she talks a lot,_ Pan thought as the brunette continued to assault her with questions. _I hope this lunch is quick._

* * *

The two women sat at a small Pho restaurant near the Satan City fashion district, waiting for their soups to arrive. After placing their order, Paresu continued to ask Pan a barrage of questions, from her favorite subjects in school to movies she had seen or music she listened to. Right before Pan felt she was about to burst, the waiter returned with their soups and the two women turned their attention to their food.

"Wait, I thought you couldn't have noodles. Grandma said you made a fuss at dinner a few weeks ago," Pan said as she watched Paresu add basil and lime to her soup.

The brunette smiled and shook her head slightly, "Oh Chi-Chi... I can have rice noodles since they don't have gluten."

"Sooo is that a diet thing?" Pan asked, the brunette looking at her with a raised eyebrow, "You know, the gluten-free thing... Cause your a model."

Paresu chuckled, "Oh sweetie, no. I have celiacs."

Pan stared back at Paresu horrified, "Oh my god."

"It's not a big deal," Paresu waved her hand and picked up her chopsticks, "There are worse things."

The two women returned to their food and remained silent as they ate. Pan looked up at Paresu every once in a while, her hesitation towards the older woman starting to melt away. The teenager put down her chopsticks as she finished her soup and took a sip of her water, "Why did you want to get lunch?"

"Mhmmm," Paresu finished chewing before answering, "I've been with your uncle for over a year and I've only met you twice... I want to get to know you better. And I thought _maybe_ you'd want to get to know me."

"Alright," Pan said, pausing to think of a few questions, "Uncle Goten mentioned you have an older sister."

"I do! Her name is Cocoa and she has two little girls. Satsuki is my older niece and just turned eight, and Makoto is six," Paresu took out her cell phone out and handed it to Pan. The home screen showed a photo of Paresu and two young girls, with another woman with shoulder length dark hair and the same smile.

"Cute family," Pan nodded and handed the phone back.

"Thank you, I love to spend time with them," Paresu smiled at the photo, "And soon, I might have a third niece."

Pan looked at Paresu with a confused expression, "Um..Are you and Uncle Goten getting married?"

"What do you mean… OH!" Paresu blushed and stuttered, "I mean, maybe...that's not what I meant though. My sister is having another baby."

"Oh… congrats." Pan nodded, two women staring in awkward silence, "So... Where did you want to go after this?"

"Maybe we could walk around and then go get ice cream?"

"Works for me,'' Pan nodded. As the waiter came to drop off the bill, Pan went to remove her wallet, but Paresu beat her to it with a credit card and shook her head at Pan with a small smile.

"Don't be silly, this is my treat."

For the first time since they met, Pan smiled back at Paresu.

* * *

Paresu and Pan sat under the umbrella at the ice cream shop, with Pan enjoying an ice cream sundae and Paresu with a vanilla cup. After lunch, Paresu had insisted on taking Pan to a few other shops to try on clothes. The model had helped the younger girl find a few summer outfits, and to Pan's surprise, even a dress. Recognizing the effort the older woman was making to get to know her, Pan reached back and was even warming up to the brunette.

"Did you forget how to eat from a cone already?" Pan teased as she enjoyed her treat.

"Oh gosh, your uncle told you didn't he?" Paresu ran a hand through her hair nervously and chuckled. The two enjoyed their ice cream in silence for a bit, before the teenager looked up at the model curiously.

"Hey Paresu?"

"Whats up?"

"Why didn't you go to college?"

"I started modeling when I was a teenager," Paresu began, "I had to juggle the last few years of high school with work and traveling. Once I graduated, I wanted to focus on my career."

"Do you regret it"

Paresu paused before answering, "Not exactly. I wanted to be a photographer when I was growing up, and I still do it for fun. So I sometimes I think about what if I hadn't done modeling… or what I'm going to do _after_ modeling."

Pan nodded, accepting the answer as she took a bite of her cone, "I thought I'd take my grandpa's place as World Champion at last week's tournament, but…" Pan trailed off. Paresu nodded at Pan's head to encourage her to continue, "I couldn't do it. I just kept imagining myself with his mustache and big afro."

Paresu giggled and shook her head, "That's adorable."

"I don't know what I want to do though," Pan continued, "Grandma wants me to be a scholar like my dad. Grandpa… both of my grandpas... wanted me to take their place. Mom and Dad just want me to be happy."

"I'm going to tell you something, that your parents may not like. And your grandma **for sure** won't like." Pan looked up at the brunette inquisitively, "It's okay if you don't know what you want to do for the rest of your life."

"I know that, but…" Pan began, her voice becoming distant. _Stay calm, Pan._

Paresu hugged the young girl, before whispering "Don't rush into anything that doesn't make _you_ happy."

Pan hugged the her uncle's girlfriend back and breathed softly, slowly regaining her composure. Paresu pulled away and nodded her head towards a park, "Why don't we take a walk before we head back?"

* * *

Videl closed her laptop and leaned back into the armchair, sighing contently. She had spent the last few hours arranging Gohan's travel schedule for the conference and proofreading his presentations. Setting the computer on the table, the dark-haired woman got out of the chair and went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. _Pan and Paresu should be back anytime now._

Like clockwork, the front door opened and she heard her daughter calling for her, "Hey mom, we're back."

"In the kitchen, Pan! How was it girls?" Videl asked as she cleaned the vegetables in the kitchen sink.

Pan placed her shopping bag on the counter and smiled at her mom, "It was great! Paresu took me to lunch and then we went shopping."

"Shopping, huh?" Videl raised an eyebrow, "I usually have to drag you somewhere when you need clothes."

"There were some cool stores near the restaurant. I even got a dress," Pan pulled the clothes from the bag to show her mom. Videl nodded approvingly and smiled at Paresu, who had joined the two.

"That was sweet of you, Paresu. Would you like to join us for dinner?" Videl offered.

"I'd love to, but I have plans with Marron tonight. We're planning my birthday party," she beamed, "It's the golden one, so I want to do something special."

"Another time then."

Pan hugged Paresu as the brunette got up to leave, "Thank you for everything today."

"Anytime sweetie! I'll see you both soon." Paresu hugged the teen back and waved at Videl before heading out the front door. As the door closed, Pan turned back to her mom with a small smile on her face.

"So?"

Pan shrugged and grabbed her clothes to put them away, "You were right mom. She's okay."

Videl shook her head as her daughter ran upstairs, dumping the vegetables into the pan. _Teenagers._


	13. Chapter 13 - Hell on Earth

**Chapter Twelve - Hell on Earth:**

 **Author's Note:** This chapter will run through the Seventeen Saga on GT and the next chapter will take place during the aftermath of the Evil Dragon Saga. Then back to more, original storytelling!

* * *

Goten opened the door to the boxing studio, pleasantly surprised to see it wasn't in a complete disarray from the early afternoon workout classes. He quickly began to organize the punching bags and prepare for his last class of the day before heading home.

His mom had invited the Briefs family over for dinner at Mount Pazaou. When he left the house that morning, she had been skinning vegetables and tenderizing the meat. Videl had planned to join them later, maybe even Pan after high school, to prepare for the meal. After class he was going to shower and pick Paresu up from her photoshoot so they could join everyone, before spending the night back in West City.

 _I hope Dad and Gohan actually leave some food for us._ Goten chuckled, knowing his family's voracious appetites. The young man turned to see his students arriving and rolled his shoulders to prepare for the class.

* * *

Trunks leaned back in his seat and loosened the tie from his dress shirt, his suit jacket already tossed to the floor of the limo. After his little vacation stunt a few weeks ago, Bulma had ordered him to return to Capsule Corporation and "get his shit together." So everyday, save for _most_ weekends, he had gone in and sat through the presentations, the meetings, and the endless headaches. To make sure he didn't sneak out, Bulma had sent Vegeta to check in on their son, promising that one way or another he'd stay busy.

He finally had a little bit of a break tonight. Chi-Chi had invited everyone for dinner, promising a meal they wouldn't forget. The lavender haired man chuckled to himself. Knowing her, the meal was going to have all sorts of weird, but delicious dishes.

As he began to unbutton his dress shirt, the car came to a halt. _Strange, there shouldn't be traffic going to Mount Pazaou at this time of day._

"Hey, what's going on?" Trunks asked his driver.

"Sir, it appears there is a man standing in the middle of the road." Trunks opened the door to the car to see a dark haired man in a trench coat in front of the car.

As Trunks began to approach him, the stranger raised a hand and shot a ki blast at the car, knocking the lavender-haired man on his back and out of conscious.

* * *

"This is delicious, Chi-Chi!" Bra said as she ate picked up another dumpling, "What's in it?"

"Yeah, all of this looks great!" Bulma said as she handed her plate to Videl to fill. The Sons and Briefs were sitting at Goku and Chi-Chi's house having dinner. As promised, Videl had arrived that afternoon to help prepare a range of dishes, from soups to dumplings and noodles.

"I'm so happy to hear that! I've been experimenting with a new style of gourmet cooking, so you might not recognize some of the dishes. " Chi-Chi said as she placed another pan on the dining table.

"So what's in this one?" Bra pointed her chopsticks to a large soup pot.

"That one is a three delicacy soup. It has jumbo shrimp, dinosaur tail, and oxen meat," Chi-Chi proudly smiled.

"Wait did you say dinosaur?" Bulma's face turned white.

"It's the tail meat, which is the most tender. I sent Goku out earlier today to get it, so it's nice and fresh. We also have a snake soup, which I've added my own special blend of hot peppers" Chi-Chi said pulling the lid off the pot.

"I love the snake soup, it's my favorite" Pan said as she laddled another serving into her bowl. Gohan nodded in agreement, smiling as he helped himself to a rice dish.

Videl noticed Bulma and Bra's hesitancy and leaned over to pat the older woman's back, "It's a little bit of an acquired taste."

The families continued to enjoy their meal, until Pan turned to look at the clock, "Weren't Trunks and Uncle Goten supposed to be here by now?"

"Goten is picking up Paresu, so they might not make it until later. Not sure about Trunks though," Videl took a sip of her tea. As she placed her cup down, the doorbell rang announcing his arrival.

"I'll get the door!" Pan smiled as she ran to the door, gasping as she opened it to see a bloody and bruised Trunks.

Trunks looked up at Pan, his face bruised and quickly turning pale. His clothes were torn to shreds, cuts visible across his entire body, "Help me."

Pan screamed as Trunks lost consciousness and collapsed on top of her. Everyone ran from the dining room to the entrance, quickly helping Pan regain her balance and carrying Trunks to the guest room. Videl and Chi-Chi rushed to the kitchen to get water and cold compresses, while Goku stepped outside to see dark clouds.

 _Something's not right._ Goku thought as he sensed the surrounding area. Looking back at his family, Goku took off towards the storm's center.

* * *

Goten had arrived to the shoot before the change in atmosphere, waving to Paresu as she finished her last set. The brunette had smiled at her boyfriend arrival, before turning her attention back to the camera. After all, the sooner they finished, the sooner they could leave for dinner and spend time together.

After the photographer signaled the shoot was over, the crew began cleaning up and the model ran to Goten, embracing him as he got out of the chair to greet her.

"Ready for dinner babe?" Goten asked as he kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, let me just change out of these shoes," Paresu giggled. The brunette was nearly Goten's height in flat shoes, but depending on the heels she wore she was often taller.

As the brunette pulled away from her boyfriend's embrace, her face paled. Goten turned to see what caused her reaction. Although it was almost six at night, the sky had still been light, but now a swirling, ominous cloud hung above West City with a heavy presence. As the crew murmured to themselves, Goten pulled Paresu close to him.

"Babe, what's going on?" she whispered.

"I don't know, but you're safe with me."

* * *

Marron sat in traffic with her parents, trying to evacuate West City after the ominous clouds entered the sky. Earlier that day she had done makeup for the rooftop shoot, but had been hoping to get some shopping and maybe have dinner with Gem. "Any update on the traffic?"

"You'know Marron, this would be so much faster if we flew home." Android 18 turned to her daughter frowning.

"I don't want people to think we're weird," Marron grumbled as she crossed her arms and legs. In the distance, the family began to hear the sound of screams and saw key blasts coming from the next street. The family pulled over and got of their car, ready to take to the air.

"It been to long hasn't it?"

Android 18 turned to see her brother standing at the corner, a tight smirk on his face. Like her, he hadn't appeared to age a day.

"What hell is wrong with you? You're killing innocent people!" Android 18 screamed. Marron moved behind her parents as they took a fighting stance.

"It's time sister," he answered, walking towards his family. He held her gaze evenly, not blinking or breaking his concentration in any way. Krillin stepped in between his wife and brother-in-law, holding up a hand in anger.

"Take one more step," the shorter man threatened.

Seventeen scoffed, "And what? You'll kill me." The dark haired man shook his head and chuckled, before firing a key blast right into Krillin's chest, sending him flying backwards. Marron and Eighteen ran towards Krillin to find him dead on impact.

 _No. No. No._ Eighteen thought as Marron screamed and tried shaking her father awake. She turned back to her brother to see him laughing, as if he just heard the funniest joke.

"Your ties to the humans are almost gone. It's time to go now." Seventeen took another step forward. He turned his attention to his niece, who was sobbing hysterically over her father's dead body.

"Marron run! Get the hell out of here" Eighteen screamed at her daughter, charging a key blast in her hands.

"Mom... I can't… I can't lose you too," Marron choked as she slowly got to her feet. As she saw her uncle charge a ki blast in his own hands and raise it towards her, the blonde ran towards an open area and took off to safety.

"I told you to stay away from her!" Eighteen yelled as she blasted her brother's hand, breaking his concentration. The two fired blasts at one another, each putting more and more energy into the attacks until Seventeen overpowered his sister. As she collapsed in exhaustion, he kicked her chest and knocked her to the body of her husband.

"Stupid bitch," Seventeen sneered. He scoffed as he walked away, turning his attention to the hole in the sky.

With the last of her energy, Eighteen crawled close to Krillin and placed a kiss on his cool cheek.

 _I'm so sorry Marron._

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Goten and Paresu had snuck off the rooftop and were making their way out of West City. On the way, they had met an assortment of characters, all looking to attack the dark-haired man and his companion. Currently, the brunette watched from the safety of an alleyway as her boyfriend moved to avoid the attacks of an alien creature.

"Goten, that was amazing!" Paresu cheered, "I've never seen someone fight so fast."

"Thanks babe" Goten smiled at his girlfriend, before the building behind him exploded and knocked him to his back. The demisaiyan turned to see a giant green monster with large claws leaning over him, until a strong kick knocked it back.

"Need some help there, Ten?"

"Hey there, Trunks" Goten grinned up at his friend as Paresu ran over to him. She helped the man sit up as Trunks landed, rubbing his back with one hand and placing her other on his thigh protectively.

"I, uh, hope I'm not interrupting anything," Trunks rubbed his neck at the display of affection.

Goten and Paresu both got to their feet, with the young man raising an eyebrow at Trunks, "You know, I was about to show off and take that guy down when you arrived."

"Yeah, sure," Trunks teased and pushed his friend teasingly. The two began to goof up, until they heard the woman next to them clear her throat.

"Boys, boys, will you knock it off? We need to get out of the city." Paresu crossed her arms at their antics, staring them down until they calmed down long enough to hear the sound of a can rustling.

Trunks and Goten raised their hands and fired a blast towards the sound. Seconds later, a severed head rolled towards them.

"We need to get out of here," Goten said as he lowered his hand. Turning his head to the right, the young Son listened closely before looking at Trunks, "I think Gohan and Pan need help. Trunks, can you take Paresu to Mount Pazaou?"

"Goten, I want to stay with you," the brunette insisted with a frown.

"I know, but you'll be safer away from the city. Trunks?"

"He's right, 'Su. I'll get you there safely and then will come back to help Goten out."

The brunette sighed before walking over to Goten and kissing him lightly, "Please stay safe." She turned back to Trunks, who lifted her princess style before taking off towards the Son family home.

 _Keep her safe, Trunks._ Goten thought as he watched his girlfriend and friend take off. _I'll kill you if you don't._

* * *

Trunks landed at the entrance of the Son family home, helping Paresu get to her feet before turning back to head back to West City. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and turned to face the distraught model, who embraced him firmly.

"Thank you for rescuing us. Please make sure Goten comes back to me safe," she whispered. Trunks wrapped an arm around his best friend's girlfriend and hugged her back.

"I promise," he mumbled.

As she moved to kiss cheek, he moved to make a similar move and their lips met. The two pulled away quickly, blushing and stuttering apologies at one another.

"Okay… let's just forget that happened," she shook her head and touched her lips with her fingers lightly, "Stay safe, Trunks."

At a loss for words, Trunks nodded and took off back towards Goten and Gohan's ki signal. The lavender haired man smiled to himself as he remembered the feel of her kiss. It may not have been intentional, and it was quick, but it was everything he imagined.

* * *

Marron opened the door to her apartment, not even bothering to close the door behind her as she trudged over to the couch and collapsed. She had sobbed the entire flight home, her eyes red and swollen without any more tears to give.

 _Dad's dead._ Marron sighed and looked towards the family photo on the console table.

 _Mom too._ The blonde choked back a sob.

For the first time in her life, the blonde wished she had taken up her parents insistence to train her. Maybe she could have saved them both.

The blonde looked towards her phone on the coffee table, which had buzzed nonstop since she arrived home. Sighing, Marron picked up her phone to see numerous messages from Gem, "Are you okay? Marron, I need to know... are you safe? Where are you?"

The blonde threw her phone to the couch opposite of her, before breaking down into deep sobs. The only, slight comfort she had was knowing that when everything was safe, maybe they could wish her parents back to life with the Dragon Balls. But who knows when things would be normal again.


	14. Chapter 14 - Memoriam

**Chapter Thirteen - Memoriam:**

 **Author's Note:** This is the last chapter having to do with GT, and from here on out it's original storytelling. Thanks for bearing with me for the last few chapters. Since the story began before GT, I felt that I had to write out the last few chapters for context.

This chapter takes place right at the end of the Evil Dragon Saga and during what I imagine would be Goku's funeral/memorial afterwards. Cheers everyone!

* * *

Goten and Gohan stood on the piles of rubbles, mouth hanging open at the sight before them. The sky may not have been dark, and no one had summoned him, but in the sky was the dragon Shenron. His red eyes focused on Goku's lifeless body, before his booming voice echoed, "Now arise, Goku."

As the patriarch sat up slowly in the rubble, Chi-Chi ran towards her husband crying, "Goku your alive!"

The husband and wife embraced, before Goku turned his attention up "Shenron, what are you doing here? Are all of the Shadow Dragons gone?"

"Yes, they are. But you know why they needed to appear at all?" Goku nodded his head in understanding, before Shenron continued, "The Dragon Balls were meant to be a thing of amazing magic and power, not as a convenience method. I'm afraid I must separate myself from Earth for a long time."

"I understand, Shenron. But for old times sake, can you grant one last wish?"

"Very well, Goku. One last time" Shenron said.

"Please wish back all the innocent people who died during these episodes with the Shadow Dragons and Android Seventeen. They didn't deserve to die and I take responsibility for their death. " Goku said.

"Your final wish is granted" Shenron said as his eyes glowed red, "The time has come I must say goodbye. Are you ready to go, Goku?" Shenron asked bring his head down towards Goku.

"I understand, Shenron. I'm ready." Goku said jumping onto Shenron head. As the dragon began to raise his hand, Vegeta flew to meet them.

"Kakarot, where are you going?" Vegeta asked curiously. Goku looked at his friend blankly before grinning.

"They're in your hands now, Vegeta. Take care of them."

"Goku, where are you going?" Chichi yelled as the dragon flew up into the clouds, "Can't you tell me if you're at least going to be home in time for dinner?"

"Don't worry, Mom. Dad always comes back when you make dinner. What are we having by the way?" Goten smiled at his mom.

"I was going to make phoenix claws, sea cucumbers, and mapo tofu," Chichi said with a heavy sigh.

"That all sounds amazing right now," Goten's stomach grumbled as he picked his mom up, "Why don't I help you get dinner started at the house? I'm sure Gohan and family are hungry too!"

As Goten and his mom flew back towards Mount Pazaou, Videl turned to her father and tapped his shoulder, "Hey Dad, why don't you join us at Chi-Chi's for dinner tonight? We'd love to have you."

Off in the distance, Pan stared up at the sky with empty eyes. As Trunks approached her, she began to whisper to herself, "Is what Shenron said true? Are we ever going to see the Dragon Balls or Grandpa again?"

"It's up to us to make sure that we won't ever need the Dragon Balls again," Trunks answered. He laid a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, "So, for now on we're going to have to focus all of our energy on solving problems rather than relying on the Dragon Balls to solve them. Then, maybe we will see them again.. maybe your Grandpa too."

On the ground, Pan noticed blue and tan clothing. Picking it up she realized it was her Grandpa's old Gi. She stared back at the sky in confusion, before noticing Vegeta's emotionless eyes on her.

"Take good care of those Pan."

* * *

Hours later at Mount Pazaou, Goten sat at the family dinner table, shoveling food into his mouth. As he took a break from chewing, he sighed contently, "Man, Dad's really missing out. I wonder when he'll be back"

Chi-Chi sat silently, her hands crossed over her lap as she watched her son eat. Hercule, Gohan, and Videl all ate slowly, while Pan was poking at her dinner with half interest. Chi-Chi took a deep breath, before reaching over the table to grab her younger son's hand, "He's not coming back this time, Goten."

Goten was silent before chuckling, "He always comes back, Mom. I bet he's going to walk through the door any moment now."

Gohan looked at his brother sadly. He had learned a long time ago that Goku didn't always come back, "I think mom is right this time, Ten."

The room fell silent as everyone put their forks down. Goten stared down at his plate emptily, before pushing back his chair and placing his dinnerware in the sink, "Thank you for dinner Mom… I think I'm going to sleep."

The sound of a closing door encourages Gohan to get out of his chair, the older Son now pacing the dining room. He stops mid pace and stares at his wife and mother, "We should probably call everyone… have a service for Dad."

Chi-Chi and Videl nod, gathering the plates from the table and begin to clean up from dinner. As Gohan goes to the living room to retrieve his phone, Pan pulls her cell phone from her pocket and dials a number, waiting two rings before the woman on the other line answers.

"Hey Paresu, it's Pan… No, it's not. When can you get to Mount Pazaou?"

* * *

The friends and family of Son Goku gathered at Mount Pazaou on a Saturday morning in memoriam of the gentle saiyan. Videl and Gohan had called everyone on the night of Goku's disappearance to let them know of the service. After Pan's phone call, Paresu had immediately driven up from West City, arriving shortly after midnight and stayed at the Son's house to support her grieving boyfriend.

Chi-Chi had prepared a feast with Videl and Paresu's help for the large group of guests. Food was after all Goku's favorite thing. As everyone sat around the family room enjoying their food, Bulma sat up from her chair. All eyes went to the bluenette as she cleared her throat, "I miss Goku as much as any of you, but he wouldn't want us to be sad about this. I think he'd like us to think of this as his next journey. And boy did we used to go on journeys together. I was just sixteen years old when I met Goku and we went hunting for the Dragon Balls."

Bulma smiled to herself as she continued, "Y'know, there were a lot of Dragon Ball hunts over the years. Lots of other adventures too, and I'm always going to remember the good times. Let's go around the room and share our favorite memories of Goku."

"He taught me the value of friendship," Krillin looks to Tien, Yamcha, and Bulma who all nod in agreement.

"He brought my father back to us," Marron smiles and grabs Krillin's hand. The blonde had screamed and cried when her father had knocked on her apartment doors earlier that week, having been revived from Goku's last wish.

"He always loved my cooking" Chi-Chi chuckled to herself.

"He taught me to protect those that I love," Gohan smiled at his daughter and wife, wrapping his arms around them both.

Everyone in the group took turns sharing memories or stories of Goku, before it reached Goten, who remains silent. The younger son of Goku looks around at the expectant eyes, before sighing and standing up from the couch, "I don't know what you all want me to say. My father was great...when he was _around_."

Chi-Chi stared at her son with sadness in her eyes. She had always suspected something was wrong. When Goku left to train Majuub all those years ago, that was when his anger and disappointment was the most noticeable. After not having his father for the first seven years of his life, Goku came back and they were a family.

And then he choose to leave them. She had been dreading this moment.

Goten was looking down at the floor, holding back tears. From across the room, Chi-Chi walks over and wraps her arms around her son. For a moment, Goten calms in her embrace before lightly pushing her away.

"I'm sorry, but I need to finish, mom," he whispers at her, before turning his head to his family and friends, "My dad was dead when I was born. It was just me, mom, and Gohan here at Mount Pazaou. And then he came back to life, and we became a family after the Majin Buu fiasco... I was so happy."

Gohan looked at his brother solemnly as Goten continued, "The father I had always dreamed of was back. Within time our family grew, with Videl marrying Gohan and Pan being born. My family was perfect… and then when I was seventeen, dad left us… to train a kid he just met."

Majuub swallowed nervously as Goten focused his attention on him and spoke lowly, "No offense to you, Majuub. But it sucked that he choose you over us."

"Goten, that's enough!" Videl warns in a low tone, staring evenly at her brother-in-law. Either he didn't notice or didn't care.

Goten chuckles to himself, ignoring his mother's shocked expression and brother's hurt eyes,. "And it gets better! The big _idiot_ gets dragged into another adventure, this time in space, with Trunks and Pan for a year!" he turns to Pan who has tears in her eyes, "Pan, sweetie, thank you for taking my place. I didn't want to be around him anyway… Now he's off with Shenron, and not even the Kai's know if he's dead or alive!"

Goten grows quiet, having said his piece. Paresu gets up from her seat on the couch and rubs her boyfriend's arm tenderly, wishing she could take away his pain. He sighs and pushes past her, slamming the front door behind him.

Murmurs filled the room as Chi-Chi and Paresu share a look, before the younger woman goes running out the door after him. With heavy eyes, Chi-Chi looks up at the ceiling with a frown.

 _Damn you, Goku._


	15. Chapter 15 - Hurt

**Chapter Fourteen - Hurt**

Gohan said goodbye to all the guests as they have the Son household. He was now the man of the household, even if his mother would continue to be the matriarch who organized reunions, had first input on any major decisions, and more.

Trunks and Paresu stayed behind, both sitting in silence in the living room. Paresu had run after Goten to console him, but had been unsuccessful in calming her boyfriend down. Trunks had attempted after her to reach his friend, but Goten was useless and locked himself in his old bedroom.

Gohan studied the brunette from a distance, noticing she was paler than usual and the dark circles under her eyes were barely hidden by makeup. _She's going to give out._ Trunks didn't look much better, with his shaggy hair and bleary eyes. The demisaiyan had been coming to the household every day after work, leaving late at night to return to Capsule Corporation.

Gohan walked over to the two and cleared his throat, "Paresu, Trunks. Thank you for everything you're doing, but you look exhausted. Paresu, I can ask Videl to bring you home so you can rest. Trunks, you're welcome to crash here or hitch a ride with the ladies."

The brunette nodded and stood up slowly, "Thanks Gohan, I'll come back in the morning." She hesitated for a moment before sighing, "Please talk to your brother, Gohan. He worries me."

"Say no more, it's been on my mind," he reassured. He hugged the model warmly and gave Trunks a pat on the back as he walked up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

* * *

"I hate him, Gohan." Goten spat as Gohan entered the small bedroom, "I hate every fucking thing about him. That he left us, that he was never around, that he only gave a fuck about his training."

"Hate consumes, Goten. You can't let it lead your life." Gohan sat on the queen size bed, patting the space next to him to encourage his brother to sit down, "Dad wasn't perfect, but he did love us."

Goten looked at Gohan with his mouth hanging open, "Are you crazy? He didn't give two shits about us."

Gohan sighed and held his hands in his lap. The older of Goku's sons looked up at the ceiling, before turning to his brother with a soft smile, "Did I ever tell you about what happened after the Cell Games?"

"Yeah, that everyone was wished back to life, except Dad since he had died before," Goten raised an eyebrow and frowned.

Choosing his words carefully, Gohan continued, "That's not what happened, little brother. Dad chose to remain dead. He knew that as long as he was alive, there would be enemies coming after us. I'd like to think that he knew our mom was pregnant with you, and that maybe he wanted you to grow up with a safer childhood than I did."

Goten stayed silent for several moments, taking in the information Gohan had just shared with him. Swallowing, Goten whispered, "He chose to remain dead?"

"Yes, he did. To protect us. To give you a future." Gohan answered, putting a firm hand on his brother's back, "You understand now, right?"

Goten didn't answer, his eyes just focused on the floor in front of him. Slowly, his strong facade melted and he began sobbing. Gohan wrapped both of his arms around his brother, sighing as if boulders were lifted from both of their chests.

* * *

It had been several weeks since Goten's breakdown at Goku's memorial. Although no longer carrying hate in his heart for his father, feelings that had been repressed began to bubble up. Most days, Chi-Chi watched as her youngest son moped across the house, sometimes not even leaving his room. Hercule had personally reached out to other instructors at Hercule Gym to cover his classes and schedule until he felt ready to return.

At the older woman's insistence, Paresu had started spending the night at Mount Pazaou to support her boyfriend, driving sometimes in the middle of the night or in the early morning hours for work. Trunks had even decided to take a short absence from Capsule Corporation to support his friend, although neither him or Paresu could coax Goten from his depression.

In the kitchen, Paresu and Chi-Chi sat drinking a cup of tea. From there, they could hear the soft sounds of the television in the living room. Goten had left his bedroom that morning, but had wrapped himself in a blanket and stared bleary eyed at the screen, not having said a word to anyone or even eaten breakfast.

"I worry about him," Paresu whispered to Chi-Chi, "I know what he's going through, but I can't get to him. He won't let me in."

Chi-Chi reached across the table and grabbed the younger woman's hand, "Give it time, dear. In the past, Goku came back from the dead. But that's not going to happen this time and none of us have figured out how to deal with it."

Paresu squeezed Chi-Chi's hand and sighed, "It's so strange to hear that still. When my mom died, that was it. There was no bringing her back, so my dad, Cocoa, and I had to learn to grieve her death and move on."

"My mother died when I was very young too," Chi-Chi nodded, "There was no bringing her back either. But it was different, I was so young I don't remember her."

Paresu let go of Chi-Chi's hand and got up from her seat to watch her boyfriend from the doorway. He either didn't notice or her presence or didn't care, not even when she walked over and wrapped her arms around him from over the couch.

"Hey babe," she leaned over and kissed his forehead, "Do you want to get dressed and do something today?"

"Not really," he mumbled, his attention not turned away from the television. In response, Paresu walked around the couch to sit on the edge of the coffee table and stare at him until he focuses his attention on her, "What is it?"

"I miss you," she sighs, reaching over to grab his hands, "I know you're going through a tough time, Goten. I really do get it. But you have to get up and learn to move forward."

"You don't get it," he turned away from her, his head hanging low. The brunette shook her head lightly at him and leaned forward.

"That's not fair," she whispered, "I've lost a parent too. She didn't come back, Goten, and I had to learn to live my life without her. You can't stop living your life, babe."

Goten doesn't react to this at first. Paresu raises her hand to caress his cheek, before he flatly says, "Neither can you."

"What are you saying, Goten? I love you and I want to help you," her hands move to grab his, but his are cold and unmoving. The brunette stares at him blankly with tears in her eyes, before getting up and leaving through the front door.

* * *

Trunks descended from the staircase, having seen the quiet altercation. Slowly, the lavender-haired demisaiyan approached his friend, sitting beside him on the couch, "You know she's right."

"Leave me alone," Goten mumbles as he pulls the blankets closer around him.

Trunks frowns, "She loves you and wants to help you. Don't close her out, Ten."

"I can't give her what she wants right now," Goten leans his head back and closes his eyes. Trunks snaps his fingers in front of Goten's eyes.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?"

"It doesn't matter." Goten sighs as Trunks stares him down, "Ok fine. We were going to move in together once her lease was up. And she told me she wanted to get engaged by the end of this year, so we went ring shopping together... But I just can't right now."

Trunks manages to nod as Goten continues. _He didn't tell me they were ready to get engaged._

"She wants this life that I don't want right now. Maybe it's because her sister is about to have another baby, or maybe because she thinks it'll cheer me up... I don't know." Goten bows his head and whispers, "I don't even know how much I care anymore."

"Goten, please listen to me. We want to help you," Trunks pressed, licking his lips before pushing on, "I think it would really benefit to get some professional help. Talk about your issues with Goku. And if you really are having doubts about Paresu, then you can get some clarity on that too."

"Whatever," Goten sighs, turning his attention back to the television, "I'll see you later T."

"Goten, c'mon." Trunks whispers. He turns and sees Chi-Chi in the doorway, before continuing "Hey, Ten, don't be like this."

Goten gets up from his spot on the couch, looking between his mother and Trunks, before turning to the staircase to head back to his room. A few moments later, they hear the sound of the door closing.

Trunks looks up at the ceiling, before giving Chi-Chi a hug goodbye. _No point in staying today I guess._

On his way out the door, Trunks noticed Paresu sitting under a tree a few yards away, her back turned towards the Son household. He didn't need his saiyan senses to know what she was doing there.

She was crying.

For a brief moment, Trunks considered running to her, but knew she could be embarrassed. Instead, he takes off for the sky back to Capsule Corporation.

* * *

After returning from Mount Pazauo, Trunks took to the gravity chamber with Vegeta, the saiyan warrior pleased to have a sparring partner for the afternoon. After their session, the demisaiyan enjoyed a hot shower that massaged his sore shoulders and back. As he exited the shower, there was a text from Marron waiting for him.

"Are you okay? I heard things got heated today"

Trunks texted back, "Who told you?"

"Paresu" was the one word response, followed quickly by a second message, "They broke up this afternoon."

Trunks stared at his screen in shock and dropped his phone. As he picked it up, he managed to type out, "You're kidding...What happened?"

Marron called him a few minutes later, speaking lowly into her speaker "Hey T. I'm on the patio, Paresu is over right now. Gem is keeping her company.. she's a mess."

"What the hell happened?" he asked softly.

"I guess things have been really difficult since Goku died. The mood swings, the depression. He doesn't want to get help and she finally gave him an ultimatum. He gets help, real help, and puts his life back together, or she's done."

"So she left," Trunks nods. He was afraid of this when he saw her crying earlier.

"Yeah, but I think it's for the best."

"Marron," Trunks hesitates, "You're not just saying that because of how you felt about Goten, right?"

"No, not at all." Marron answers quickly before elaborating, "She really is a great girl. Things were going so well for them before all this shit hit the fan."

Trunks nodded as Marron continued, "The crap he said to her about not understanding what he's going through pissed her off. And then I guess they talked about the future today… God she's a mess right now."

"Do you want me to come by?" Trunks offered, before thinking, _Yeah, Goten's best friend. No way in hell she wants to see me._

"Probably not tonight. but give her a few days," Marron whispers, "She's probably going to take off actually, so maybe let her reach out."

"Like go home take off or take off?" Trunks asked

"Like go on some sort of mental or spiritual retreat," Marron began to elaborate, before becoming silent quickly. On the other end, Trunks could hear a male whisper, before Marron picked up again, "Anyway, I have to go. She needs me right now. Bye!"

Trunks sighed as he put down the phone on the counter.

 _Goten, you idiot._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This chapter was tough for me to write, I had to try to place myself it Goten's shoes. I've always imagined he had some level of resentment for his father, but that Gohan wouldn't (or if he had, he had reflected on it enough to move past it). To me, it makes sense that his anger would transition to grief and sadness, and that perhaps he would lose sight of the things that are important to him.

Next few chapters are going to be interesting, so stay tuned!


	16. Chapter 16 - No Second Thoughts?

**Chapter Fifteen - No Second Thoughts?**

 **Author's Note:** I've had the majority of this chapter written out, but am in the process of moving apartments and I am also starting a new job in a few weeks. It's been busy! The reason I'm mentioning this is that I noticed a Guest commented asking if the story is dead…. It's not. I just have other commitments that need my time, but this story will not be abandoned.

Similar to previous weeks, the next few chapters are outlined and I'm hoping to regain a regular posting rhythm.

* * *

She stared out at the calm waves, a cup of coffee in her hand and a sad smile on her face. She used to love the beach as a child, they were always her favorite trips with the family. Cocoa and her kids often went to the beach, and next summer the new baby would join them.

 _I need to remember to keep my phone on me, Cocoa's almost due._

Her mind wandered to her other trips to the island. Goten and her had also gone away together after only a few months of dating. She had forgotten her swimsuit of all things! He had found it cute and took her to a nearby shop to pick out a new one.

Sighing, the brunette turned away from the window, placing her cup of coffee on the table and walked back to the bedroom to get dressed. She had left early the previous morning to set up a temporary capsule cabin on the island. With the breakup with Goten fresh on her mind, Paresu decided to take off and do what she loved best.

Photography.

The brunette stood in front of the mirror as she braided her long chestnut locks into a side fishtail. She was wearing a dark blue crop tank and shorts with tan hiking boots. Her camera equipment and a daypack were already set up and ready to go. Checking her phone for messages one last time, Paresu packed up and set out towards the cliffside.

* * *

Trunks descended onto the sandy beaches of Mango Island, having finished his meetings early for the day. The entire flight he wondered if he was doing the right thing. While he wasn't upset about the fact that Paresu and Goten broke up, he did know both parties were hurting and did feel for both individuals.

He checked his phone to see there were no messages. After there spat, Trunks had texted Goten daily to check in on his friend, but hadn't received a response.

 _No surprise there._

Trunks took a heavy breath and turned his head towards the mountain, focusing his ki to try to find Paresu. Up towards the cliffside he felt the flicker of energy, so he began to make his way up there.

* * *

Cocoa stood at the kitchen island staring at the aray of meats, cheeses, and breads in front of her. She knew that she wanted a sandwich, but now with all the options in front of her she was unsure of what to make. As she lifted her hand towards the whole wheat loaf, she felt a hard kick from inside.

"Ow... I guess you don't want that today," she mumbled and rubbed her swollen belly.

The first two pregnancies had been easy compared to this. But Pigero hadn't been as busy with work and Paresu was around to lend a hand.

 _Oh 'Su… I hope she's okay._

Cocoa hoped that Paresu was alright. She had awoken from a text to her younger sister that she was taking off for a few days to do photography and not to worry. But it was Cocoa's job to worry, especially since their mom wasn't around. Just as long as she was safe and didn't do anything crazy, like chop off all her hair or jump into bed with a stranger.

Cocoa chuckled to herself at the thought. _Nah, she's a rationale adult._

Deciding on a turkey and swiss sandwich, the pregnant woman continued to prepare her lunch in peace, knowing that she wouldn't be able to enjoy these quiet moments much longer.

* * *

Having decided to hike up the mountain instead of flying, Trunks reached the top of the mountain an hour after landing. On the edge of a cliff, he saw Paresu setting up a tripod with careful precision. Not wanting to scare her, he watched her carefully. She looked at peace, adjusting the height of the stand and angling the lense to get a clear shot of the islands off in the distance. The brunette pressed a button on the side of the camera and stepped back.

Paresu looked down at her watch, before turning around in yelping in surprise.

Trunks held up his hands, "Hey! Didn't mean to scare you 'Su."

"Trunks?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Trunks took a step towards her.

She eyed him carefully, "I'm fine, but why are you here? And how did you find me?"

"Marron told me what happened and where to find you." Trunks offered and winced when her face darkened, "I'm sorry about you and Goten."

"I said it's fine. Thank you for checking on me, but I'm a big girl. You can go home and stop worrying." She turned away from him and walked back towards the camera, setting her attention to the equipment.

Not accepting her dismiseness, Trunks stood his ground and walked over to her, putting a hand on the tree to lean down and look at her. Paresu sighed and nodded her head towards the camera equipment, "If you're going to stay, you might as well help me get some of these shots."

"Works for me," Trunks smiled at her, "Did you eat yet?"

"I had breakfast and packed lunch for myself, but I might have enough if you want to split it. But we have a lot to do before then, so let's get to it."

* * *

Marron applied the blush carefully on the pink-haired model in the chair, taking care to make sure she didn't apply too much. She didn't the girl to appear bashful, not like she was recovering from heat rash.

Paresu had called Mizumaki the morning after leaving Marron's apartment to let her know of the breakup and requesting a few days off to compose herself. The designer had released the model from an upcoming appearance and another one of the models, Sakura, had stepped in.

The blonde listened halfheartedly as the model rattled on and on about the struggles of her week, from the dates she had been on to the new diet she was trying. Her mind was distracted, knowing that two of her friends were in pain and that she couldn't help.

 _Maybe I'll go talk to Goten later this week._

"Marron! Are you listening?"

"Huh?" Marron blinked to see Sakura staring up at her slightly annoyed, "I'm sorry, I've just been worried about a friend. Can you please tell me again?"

The pink-haired woman continued with her story, oblivious to the concerned look on the makeup artist's face.

* * *

Goten laid on the couch wrapped in a pile of blankets. In the few weeks since Paresu had broken up with him and Goku passed on, he had grown a scruffy beard and his hair had grown longer.

Gohan watched from the kitchen, a cup of tea in his hand. Although he and his mother had tried talking sense into Goten, neither of them had been able to reach him. The older Son and his mother had breakfast earlier that day and decided there was only one way to get him help.

Adjusting his glasses quickly, Gohan walked over to the couch opposite of his brother and sat down. He placed his cup on the table and leaned forward, making sure that Goten made eye contact with him before starting, "Tomorrow, you and I are going to a grief support group ."

Goten didn't say anything at first. Gohan was getting ready to repeat himself before sitting up, "Why?"

"Because you gotta get your life back on track, little brother. It would probably be good for me too honestly. We're all mourning, but you have to keep living your life. So let's get you some help, so you can go back to work and _maybe_ repair your relationship with your girlfriend."

"When?"

"When what?" Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"The therapy. I'll go." Goten nodded and scratched his beard, "I hate this, Gohan. I hate feeling angry or sad all the time."

"I know you do. Because I lost Dad more than once," Gohan answered, "Grief isn't an easy burden. You just learn to carry it like a wallet. Always part of you, but not as noticeable as a mountain."

"Thanks Professor," Goten smiled in what felt like the first time in a while, "One day at a time, right?"

"That's right. C'mon, let's get you off the couch for a bit and take a walk."

* * *

Trunks and Paresu sat on two chairs outside her capsule cabin, poking at the dinner she had made for them. After helping her with photography around the island, Trunks had gone fishing and caught a fish, which they cooked over an open fire.

The lavender-haired prince had been surprised at the brunette, as she had slowly opened up to him during the day. Before he had known her as Marron's friend, and then Goten's girlfriend. They had only had conversations that barely scratched the surface of who she was.

"I loved him, I still do. It's really hard being away from him."

As they finished their dinner, Trunks had asked her a question that had been on his mind since learning of the breakup. How she felt about Goten.

"Marron told me you ended things," he said as he took a sip from his water.

"I did. It wasn't easy, but I think it's for the best." Paresu offered, before sighing. He noticed that she teared up for a bit and swallowed before continuing, "You know, I understand grieving, my mom died when I was a kid. But you gotta get help and move on and he didn't want to get help. I feel terrible, I wanted to help him. But I couldn't."

"Hey," he put his plate down and grabbed her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles, "You are not a horrible person. I tried to help him too and I've known him his whole life. Maybe Gohan will get to him, but only Goten can really help himself."

"I sure hope so, Trunks."

"Do you," he hesitated, not sure he wanted to know the answer. "Would you want to get back together?"

"Trunks, you're his best friend. I'm a little hesitant - "

He waved his hand, "Don't be, whatever you say is between us."

"Alright, I'll be honest then. Goten and I had something great and I don't want to throw that away." she squeezed his hand and licked her lips, "But I'm not sure. Before the breakup, I wanted to move in and get engaged. Now I'm starting to question if I'm ready to settle down, or if there's something else out there."

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked carefully.

She blushed and looked down, before she looked straight at him and held his gaze. The air felt hot between them. Trunks became aware of how close they were sitting, the smell of her lavender shampoo, and the way her eyes sparkled in the low light.

 _Holy fuck._

"Paresu." he whispered and began to lean in towards her.

"I should clean up," she whispered and pulled her hand from his. He noticed that she held his gaze away from his. "Do you want to use the hot tub? I'll join you in a bit."

Trunks nodded and gathered the dirty plates, handing them to her, "Sure thing, see you in a few."

* * *

Marron had arrived home shortly after eleven, the event having ended an hour prior. Having spent all day preparing the models for the event, the blonde felt spent. Walking into the kitchen, Marron saw a covered plate and a note from Gem, letting her know that her favorite wine was in the fridge.

 _He really is adorable._

Marron popped the plate in the microwave and poured herself a glass as her dinner heated up. As she sipped her wine, she checked her phone to see a message from Trunks.

"Found Su, thanks for letting me know where she was at."

She placed her phone down on the counter and sighed. Trunks still had a crush on her, almost two years after meeting. Paresu was fresh off of a breakup... Marron finished her wine in one large gulp and poured a second glass for herself. As she pulled her dinner from the microwave and started eating, she wondered how her friends were doing on the island.

* * *

"Do you mind if I join you?" Paresu smiled down at Trunks, who was enjoying a beer he had brought with him in the hot tub. He stared up at her to see a small yellow bikini and her hair in loose waves.

"Please do." he motioned and took a sip. The brunette joined him on the opposite side of the tub, sighing as the water covered her to her chest.

She sighed and relished in the feeling of the warm water before smiling at him softly, "I'm sorry I told you all that stuff about Ten. I should've kept you out of it."

"Don't worry about it," he dismissed her with a smile, "He might be my best friend, but you're a friend now too."

"I like the sound of that," she giggled, "That's very sweet of you, Trunks."

"I wanted to ask you something" he hesitated.

"Ask me what?"

"In the kitchen, you mentioned that you were having second thoughts..." Trunks licked his lips and watched Paresu. It may have been the heat of the springs, but he could have sworn she was blushing.

"What are you asking me?"

"Is there someone else?" he asked. She was silent for a few moments, before she lowered her eyes to his chest and back up to his eyes, before focusing on his lips. He stared at her face and knew her answer.

 _Fuck it._

Trunks moved over to sit next to her and leaned forward to capture her lips with his own. Paresu kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck, moaning against his mouth.

Breaking the kiss to put his beer down, Trunks took her chin in his hand and pulled her close again, sucking lightly on her lower lip. As he traced her lip with his tongue, Paresu grabbed his deepened the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair, her mouth opening to let his tongue slide in to let his dance with hers. He grabs her bodily by the waist, pressing her body against his, and moves from her lips to her neck to nip and lick the soft skin.

He growled lightly at her soft moans of encouragement and kisses from her neck to her collarbone and the top of the yellow bikini. Whether it was the cool night air or his kisses, he could see her perky nipples through the fabric. As his lips move over the fabric to suck her nipple, Paresu throws her head back and moans, thrusting her hips against his. In response Trunks sucks harder, removing his lips for a second to pull the bikini top down and pull her nipple back into his hard and wet mouth. His tongue flicked back and forth as he sucked, his other hand moving to remove the triangle of fabric from her other breast.

"Trunks we shouldn't…" she moaned.

The demisaiyan pulled away from her, to the groans of frustration of the model. He holds her gaze, noticing that her dark eyes appeared glazed over with lust, "Do you want to stop?"

Paresu smiled saucily, "We shouldn't do it _here_. Someone could see us."

Trunks stared at her confused, "Wait, what?"

Paresu giggled and kissed him, whispering as she pulled away "Why don't we go inside?"

"You sure? No second thoughts?"

"None."

Trunks grinned and let Paresu unstraddle him to get out of the water, the brunette having moved the triangles of fabric over her breasts for the time being. She grabbed his hand and led him into the capsule home, and to her bed.

* * *

 _The man thrusted in and out of her, kissing her swollen lips harshly and gripping her hips tight. With eyes shut tight in pleasure, her hands massaged the strong muscles in his back, her nails digging in when he angled his hips just the way she liked._

 _Her soft moans encouraged him to thrust harder in response. "Please… baby… I need you."_

 _He pulled out of her, causing her to whimper in frustration. The man kissed her neck and trailed his mouth against her breasts, rolling her nipples between his tongue and lips, making the brunette arch her back. He continued his ministrations before reaching her hips, giving each one a playful nip before settling between her thighs._

 _As he began to use his mouth and tongue against her dripping entrance, she placed both her hands gently on his head to guide him. "Oh… yes."_

 _He pulled away and calls her name, causing her to open her eyes and meet his._

 _They were not the dark hair and onyx eyes she expected to see._

Paresu shot up from the bed, breathing heavily. She brushed her tangled locks from her forehead and worked to calm her breathing. Feeling calm, she leaned back against the headboard and turned to her side.

Trunks breathed peacefully in his sleep, one arm tucked under his head and the other reached out towards her.

 _Oh my god. What have I done._

* * *

 **Author's Note #2:** To some of you, it may have felt fast for Trunks and Paresu to hook up, but remember that he has had feelings (or the hots) for her for quite some time and she's fresh off a break up. The sex will mean different things to them, but will that change? Guess we'll find out.

This was more of a pinch of juice then a full lemon, but there will be plenty more of those to come.


	17. Chapter 17 - Golden Birthday

**Chapter Sixteen - Golden Birthday:**

Author's Note: The lemon (yes it's finally happening) scene at the end of the chapter was the first thing I wrote when drafting the story. I am excited to see what you all think, so please R&R.

* * *

Trunks sat at the bar nursing a glass of whiskey, checking his watch every few minutes. Marron had texted him earlier that night letting him know that she wasn't feeling great, but would get lunch or dinner with Trunks later that week.

 _Probably for the best._ Trunks took a sip. _I'm not even sure if I should be here tonight._

Paresu and her friends would be arriving at Heaven any minute now to celebrate her birthday. Before they had spent the night together, she had mentioned her "golden birthday" plans and invited him.

Trunks took another sip from his glass, swirling the cool liquid on his tongue before swallowing. Paresu had been unresponsive to his texts ever since he left the island the following morning. He couldn't blame her - even though she wasn't with Goten anymore, it must have been confusing to sleep with his best friend.

The lavender-haired man sighed. He really _did_ want to talk with her about what happened, but this wasn't the time. Trunks signaled to the bartender that he wanted to close out. After signing the receipt, he got out of his seat and headed to the doors to see the brunette and her entourage walk in, all beautiful and ready to turn heads. Trunks recognized a few of the girls, all other models or influencers that she was friendly with or worked with. Everything about them was perfect, from their taught and toned bodies to their makeup and styled hair.

Trunks' blue eyes met Paresu's, who's smile faltered slightly at the sight of him. The model was wearing a black mini dress with her hair in soft curls and gold earrings and matching heeled sandals.

She was always beautiful. But tonight she was stunning.

He silently cursed to himself before smiling at the model, "Happy Birthday, 'Su."

Paresu stayed behind as the models moved to one of the private rooms, eyeing Trunks carefully as he smiled at her. Once they were far enough away she took a step towards him and spoke low enough for only him to hear, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"You did invite me," he smirked, "I mean, it was before -"

She shook her head at him and slightly inclined her head towards the group of models who had taken off towards the reserved table. Trunks nodded in understanding.

"Well, I should probably head out. Don't want to keep you from all the fun. Happy birthday again!" Trunks began to walk away before her voice called him back.

"Trunks," she hesitated and looked away for a second, before bringing her gaze back to him, "I did invite you, even if it was before… you know. So why don't you stay and have a few drinks, it'll be fun."

"You sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just know... what happened that night on the beach can't happen again tonight."

Trunks had expected her to say that. Although she and Goten weren't talking, he assumed she probably wanted to rekindle their relationship.

"I understand," he smiled and nodded towards the table, "Why don't you go join the girls. I'll go buy us a bottle - how does vodka or tequila sound?"

"That's perfect, see you in a bit" she giggled and walked back towards the table, the girls cheering as she approached.

As Trunks walked towards the the bar, he made a mental note of the group at the table. There were seven girls, plus Paresu and himself, making nine total. They would need at least one bottle to start with. He was sure they would want to take shots to get the night going.

"I'll get a bottle of your house tequila," Trunks handed his card to the bartender and pointed to the entourage, "Start a tab. It's for the table right there. We'll need nine glasses."

As he returned to the table, he became aware of all the models eyeing him, taking in every detail of his body and face. One of the blonde models leaned in towards Paresu and whispered, "Is that Trunks Briefs? How do you know him?"

"He's a friend of Goten's. I invited him," she answered softly and twirled her hair, hoping it would be the end of the conversation.

"The pictures don't do that man justice," the blonde smiled evilly at Trunks, who blushed and turned away, "So are you two..."

"No, that's silly. He's just a friend," Paresu faked a laugh as if it was the craziest idea in the world. Trunks raised an eyebrow at her, but was distracted by the waitress who arrived with the bottle of tequila and filled all nine glasses. Each model and Trunks grabbed a glass as one as the pink-haired model known as Sakura stood up.

"Alright, ladies, cheers! And most of all... Happy birthday Paresu!" she raised her shot glass in the air, all the models clinking each other's shots and finishing them quickly, chasing them with lime.

As the waitress started to pour another round, one of the models turned to ask "Are we doing twenty-seven shots for your birthday?"

"I can't take that many on my own," the brunette smiled.

"So what are we cheering for now?"

"Being a single lady," Sakura winked.

"Someone should get laid tonight. It's your birthday after all," the blonde model wrapped an arm around Paresu and grinned deliciously at her.

Paresu laughed and took her second shot, shaking her head as she held out her glass for the third shot, "You guys can. I'm not in the mood."

One of the models snuggled up to Trunks, "What if I take you home?"

Trunks blushed, "You're very pretty, but - " and his gaze wandered to Paresu who was purposefully keeping her gaze off of him.

The model squealed, "He called me pretty!"

Paresu took the third shot from the table and stood up, "I'm going to dance. Who's coming?"

"Alright ladies, you heard the birthday queen! Let's go!"

* * *

Goten laid outside on the cool grass, staring at the stars in the sky. The last three weeks, Gohan had been able to convince him to go to grief counseling and group therapy. While the other members hadn't lost their parents in such a bizarre way, it was comforting for the younger Son to know his feelings on loss weren't unusual.

So he went a few times a week. Within the first week he noticed a difference and the following week, he returned to work, taking on a lighter load of classes until he felt mentally strong enough to fully return. At his mother's encouragement, he was also looking into small apartments in West City, closer to the gyms he worked at. He was twenty-eight, so it was time after all.

The only thing he had left to do was talk to Paresu. Goten replayed every defining moment of their relationship in his mind. Marron introducing them, their first date, meeting her family, making love together.. and then the breakup. Goten sighed and blinked back a few hot tears.

The young demi saiyan sat up and pulled his phone from his pocket, typing out a birthday message to his ex girlfriend. As he was ready to hit send, he hesitated, thumb hovering over the screen before he deleted the text.

 _I need to see her in person. Maybe early next week, after her birthday._

Goten got up from the grass and walked back towards the house, hopeful that he could repair what he had broken.

* * *

Trunks moved to the music, keeping a distance from the women who were trying to wrap their bodies around his. In past years he wouldn't have minded, but he had his prize in mind for the night. His eyes wandered to the center of the dancefloor where Paresu was surrounded by beautiful men and women. He watched as her body moved to the rhythm, her hips moving sensually and a smile on her face.

The brunette opened her eyes to see Trunks staring at her and gave him a sexy smile, raising one finger to make a "come-hither" motion.

Trunks took her invitation, not questioning her change of heart, and pulled her close to him. She placed her arms on his as they danced to the beat of the music. The lights were flashing with each beat, giving Trunks only fractions of a second to see her slightly flushed face, whether that was from the dancing or the alcohol or being close to him. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he wanted her.

As the song changed, Trunks hands began to explore her body as they bumped against one another. He flipped her around so that she was facing away from him, holding her hips against his. In response Paresu pressed her body against him, one hand on his and the other on his arm, her cheek pressed against his as they continued to dance.

"You're making me so fucking hard," he growled into her ear, his hips grinding against her ass.

"Trunks..." she whispered, his hands moving from her hips to her stomach.

The demisaiyan looked around the dancefloor to see the crowd pressed closely together, too engaged in their own movements to pay attention. _Good_ , he thought as he spun Paresu around again to face him and kissed her hungrily.

The brunette leaned into the kiss, savoring the feel before she remembered herself and broke away. Paresu pushed Trunks away, and began to make her way off the crowded dance floor, Trunks trailing behind her. The model made her way to the entrance and walked out of the club, face stone cold as she turned the corner towards the quiet alleyway.

"Hey, stop!" he grabbed her hand as they turned the corner, which she pulled out of his roughly, "What the hell is your problem?"

"What the hell is YOUR problem?" she growled.

"You wanted to dance with me," he threw his hands out, exasperation painted on his face.

"I didn't ask you to kiss me like that!" she hissed.

"You definitely didn't mind when we were up in the mountains." Trunks took a step towards her, eyes narrowed, "If I remember correctly, you were begging for it."

"That was different," Paresu took two step towards him and pointed a finger, "You wanted me. And in that moment, I wanted you. It was one time."

Trunks laughed, "Just once? If I remember correctly, it was three or four times dear."

"Screw you," she snarled.

"Oh you did. Just like a whore," Trunks regretted his words as soon as they came out of his mouth, as the brunette's face dropped, "Paresu, I'm sor-"

Her hand came in contact with his face in a harsh slap, knocking his head back. She may have been human, but he could feel the impact ringing on his cheek. Paresu stood back and huffed, eyeing him with fiery eyes as he nursed his cheek.

"You asshole," she choked, her strong facade crumbling as tears started streaming from her eyes. Trunks wrapped his arms around the brunette, who struggled in his grasp and slapped his chest before finally allowing him to comfort her.

He kissed her cheek and rubbed her back before whispering in her ear, "Hey, I didn't mean to say that. You are not a whore."

They stood like this for a few minutes before she pulled back. Her makeup had smeared a little and he wiped a stray tear away from her eye. She looked up at him with sad dark eyes, "What are we doing Trunks?"

"Its okay 'Su."

"No, its not"

"Is this about the sex? Or maybe about Goten?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." she shrugged and turned to see if anyone was watching them. They were alone in the alleyway, free to talk as they wanted. "Maybe we weren't meant to be... Goten and I that is. But it's still hard. I really loved him, Trunks, and… I like you, but it's not the same."

"Sleeping with me probably didn't help things," he grabbed her hand and rubbed it back and forth with his thumb, "I like you too, Paresu. I've actually had feelings for you for a while."

She smiled softly at him, a blush appearing across her face, "That's sweet of you, Trunks. I'm sorry I slapped you."

He chuckled at her apology, "Do you want to go back in?"

"Not really," she laughed, "I'm getting too old for this."

"C'mon you're 27, not 72," he said, wiping another tear from her eyes. "You know, I'm staying at a hotel not far from here. Why don't we go and chat there?"

"I think we need to," she nodded in agreeance, "We need to leave separately though, don't want to give the wrong ideas to anyone."

* * *

Marron laid on her heating pad, scrolling through the feed on social media to see what her friends were up to for the night.

Pan and Bra were studying for their high school exams. Gem was with his friends having a few drinks. The Mizumaki models were at Heaven.

 _I hope Paresu is having fun. Wait a second..._

On one of the girls' stories, she saw Paresu and Trunks. The first story showed them taking shots together, followed by a story of them dancing together. Closely.

Marron frowned as she thought if the either of them acted different lately. Paresu had kept to herself after she returned from the island, shooting down any talk of Goten brought on by the models. She had wandered if it was due to the pain of the breakup, but now she wondered if there was another reason for her behavior.

 _They didn't … did they?_

* * *

Paresu sat on the couch, sipping on the bottle of water Trunks had procured when she arrived to the suite. As agreed, he had left before her, making sure not to raise suspicions from the models or other patrons.

The lavender-haired man took a seat next to her, wrapping his arm over the edge of the couch, "Paresu, I want to make sure that you're you okay."

The brunette nodded, swallowing her water before she continued, "I'm getting there, it's just complicated. I'm still moving on from the breakup, while figuring out what this might be."

"Casual sex with handsome strangers?"

She chuckled and softly whispered, "Yeah, exactly."

"Paresu," he turned to face her, holding her gaze, "I want more than just sex with you. I told you already tonight, I have feelings for you. And I want to know if you have feelings for me."

The brunette sighed and placed her bottle on the table, bouncing her head back as she chose her words carefully, "I like you Trunks. I really do. You're kind and smart and funny. And very handsome. But I'm not sure I can give you anything more than what this is."

Trunks nodded softly at her answer. Paresu grabbed his face and leaned over to kiss his lips softly. The two broke the kiss to look in each others eyes, before leaning in again for another kiss. Trunks lifted the model up and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently before pouncing back on top of her.

As their kisses became hungrier, Paresu moved her lips to his cheek and then nibbled on his neck and ear, "Earlier tonight you said I screwed you like a whore."

Trunks pulled away to look at her sheepishly, "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it."

"I'm going to fuck you like a dirty little whore," she whispered and kissed him salaciously.

Their tongues clashed furiously as they battled for dominance, with her hands cupping his face and messing his hair. She flipped Trunks over so she was straddling him, his hands slowly made his way to her bottom, kneading the muscles there and enjoying the feel of her smooth body. Her hands made their way up his chest, massaging the muscles there before unbuttoning each button to slowly reveal his muscular chest.

She became aware of his hand fumbling with the zipper on the back of her dress. Standing up, Paresu unzipped the dress and let it fall to the floor, revealing a matching dark blue lacy bra and gstring. He threw his shirt aside as she returned to the bed to straddle him. Trunks hands moved to cup her bottom again, her hips grinding against the straining erection in his pants. Her wetness was apparent, leaving a damp trail against the slacks. His lips moved away from hers and onto her neck and shoulders, leaving a pattern of soft kisses that made her moan.

His lips made their way to her cleavage, his tongue licking the top of the warm globes. Paresu pushed his face away so that her perfectly manicured fingertips unleashed the front clasp, letting her perky breasts fall into view. Tossing the bra behind her, her hands reached to massage her breasts, sighing at the freedom. Noticing his slight gawking, Paresu took his hands and placed them back on her body.

Trunks took her invitation, massaging and kissing her breasts but carefully avoiding the perky pink nipples. Her breathing was soft, lips kissing the top of his forehead as he wrapped his lips onto one of her taught nipples. His right hand reached for her left nipple, tweaking it slightly. With his free hand, Trunks rubbed her body down from her breast to her hip and the entrance of her thong. Moving the fabric to the side, he began to rub against the wet, hot flesh, earning a moan from the brunette straddling him.

Eyes fluttered open, Paresu watched Trunks leaned back and smile at her. Paresu reached for his pants and began to unbuckle the belt. One hand undid the loop while the other massaged his hard cock through the pants. Trunks lifted his hips to let her remove the too tight pants and boxers, letting his erection spring towards towards his abdomen. Standing at the edge of the bed, Paresu placed both thumbs through the thong and pulled it down, revealing a landing strip. Climbing back into bed, she reached for his erection with her hand and held his gaze.

"I want you to watch me."

Trunks Briefs couldn't say no to the sultry brunette whos lazy ministrations were driving him crazy. He scooted back, until his back was firmly against the headboard. Paresu moved her head down, licking the tip of his hard cock to capture the drop of precum. One hand remained on the base of his erection, the other alternated between cupping his balls or rubbing his inner thighs. Quickly, she took him in his mouth. Over and over she bobbed up and down, her mouth dripping with saliva, tongue massaging his shaft.

He moaned and shifted his hips, "Stop… I'm going to cum."

She sped up her movements, sucking on his hard cock harder and moving both hands to his balls to massage them. He bucked once more, filling her mouth. As she lifted her head, he saw a small trail of cum from her lips as she swallowed. Taking a slender finger, she wiped the trail and licked the tip, watching him like a hawk. He had never been turned on like that. Trunks pulled her up to him and kissed her quickly, flipping her over.

Starting at her breasts, he kissed a quick trail down to her belly button and her opening, her scent driving him crazy. He kept kissing her thighs, until she spread her legs enticingly, inviting him to taste her. He took her invitation willingly, cupping her bottom with his hands as he leaned forward and placed a kiss at her wet opening. His mouth moved side to side, kissing and nibbling on her inner thighs. Frustrated, she tried moving his head to his opening, but he stayed put. Slowly, he began working his way back, before reaching her clit and licking it.

She bucked against his mouth, his hands moving away from her bottom to his thighs to hold her down. His mouth was hot against her slick, licking her from top to bottom and swirling around her clit. Paresu brought her hands to her breasts, fingers massaging the soft flesh and her taught nipples. He kept pulling her to the edge, then moving away to tease her.

Sensing her frustration, he brought two fingers to her opening as his tongue lapped her clit. Her soft breaths became more raggard as her moans became louder. Finally, her world exploded and she saw stars.

Trunks licked his lips as he watched her finish, moving up to kiss her. She eagerly reciprocated, her hand going to rub his cock, recovered from her blowjob. Pulling away, Trunks leaned over to grabbed a condom pants pocket and sheathed his cock. As he positioned himself between her legs, Paresu pushed against chest.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked.

"No," she whispered, "I want to be on top."

"You're the birthday girl," he smirked and rolled onto his back, allowing the brunette to straddle him. His hands moved up and down her body, tweaking her nipples and cupping her breasts as she positioned him at her opening. In one move, she took him inside her, causing her to cry out loudly.

He moved his hands to her hips, thrusting lightly and helping her bounce to get used to his size. Slowly, the pain subsided and his movements became pleasurable. Her hands moved from his chest to her breasts, pinching the nipples to match the sensation she felt below. His hands alternated from gripping her waist to kneading her ass, with the occasional slap to add to the sounds.

Trunks grabbed her hips, slowing her rapid bounces to a slow grind. Exasperated, she looked at him with lustful eyes.

"Turn over," he demanded.

With a delicious realization, she climbed off him, getting on her hands and knees, and invitingly lifting her bottom into the air as Trunks positioned himself behind her. Taking his cock in his hand, he placed it at her opening and thrust into his best friend's ex-girlfriend.

She screamed as he fucked her roughly and quickly, taking her body to new levels. She was sure all of West City could hear her, so she grabbed the pillow and buried her face into it to muffle her screams. He rode her ass hard, enjoying the sound of their skin slapping together.

He flipped her over again, wrapping her legs around his waist and leaning over to kiss her as he entered her again. This time, he took his time, slowly moving inside her. Instead of hungry kisses, he kissed her softly all over. Her lips, her face, her neck. His lips moved to her ear to whisper sweet nothings.

Trunks' hands moved to take hers, holding them above her head. She tenderly kissed him as they continued their movements, breathing with the rhythm of their coupling. She was getting closer, he could feel it by her light moaning and how her body moved against him. As she came, Trunks thrusted a few more times before climaxing. Rolling off her, he removed the condom and tossed it into a nearby can.

Paresu laid on her back breathing heavily as Trunks rejoined her. The lavender-haired man pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead.

"Are you going to kick me out at four AM again?" he whispered.

She giggled softly and kissed his cheek, "It's your room, I should be worried about you kicking _me_ out."

"Nah, not on your birthday. Any other day of the year maybe," he teased and kissed her lips again.

She moaned into the kiss, her hands massaging his chest before she pulled away, "I should go soon. I know we were careful, but it would be bad if people saw us leave together."

Trunks flipped her over so he was hovering over her, "When can I see you again?"

"Mhmmm, maybe in a few days. My apartment has been a mess since I came home. I'll text you."

Trunks gave her one final kiss before she pushed against his chest. He reluctantly pulled away and laid on his back to let her get out of bed. As she drew up her undergarments and dress from the edge of the bed, he openly gawked at her toned body. As she finished putting on her heels and adjusting her earrings, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips one last time.

"Thanks for the birthday gift, I'll see you soon."

She closed the door behind him, letting Trunks drift off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18 - Holiday Party

**Chapter Seventeen - Christmas Eve:**

* * *

 _This really isn't my place._ Marron thought as she knocked on the door.

To the blonde's surprise, Gohan answered the door, a pencil sticking out from the tip of his ear and a stack of books in his free arm, "Hey Marron, how's it going? Goten mentioned you'd be coming over for lunch."

The older Son stepped aside to let Marron in. Goten at at the dining table with Videl, an assortmant of food laid out. At the sight of his friend, Goten grinned and waved.

"Hey Goten, how are you doing?" she smiled, sitting down opposite of him and Videl. Gohan came to join him, picking up the bowl of vegetables to begin serving himself.

"It's been good, just been taking things one day at a time. I'm back at work and I've been going to grief counseling."

"That's good, I'm glad to hear that!"

The Sons and Marron began to eat their meal, discussing the details of their day. As Marron finished her plate, Goten grabbed the plate of meats and helped himself to a second course, "Marron, there's something I want to ask you. I'm just not sure how to ask."

Marron looked at him calmly, waiting for him to continue. Videl picked up the empty dishes and walked towards the kitchen, nodding her head at Gohan to indicate he should follow her. Once they were alone, Goten began to speak again.

"How's 'Su doing. She won't respond to my calls or texts. I know I was an ass to her, but I love her and want to make things work."

Marron sighed and leaned back in her chair. _Well shit._

Goten continued, not noticing Marron's reaction, "Maybe she feels that I led her on a bit, with talking about moving in and going ring shopping. I wasn't quite ready a few months ago for all of that, but I think I am now. After Dad, well, died, I just needed time and didn't know how to handle that. I messed up and want to fix things."

Marron swallowed, "That all makes sense. But Goten, what if she's moved on?"

Goten narrowed his eyes, "Is there something I should know?"

Images of Trunks and Paresu dancing at the club filled her mind. Keeping her face neutral, the blonde shook her head, "Not that she's told me."

 _Sorry Goten. I don't know for sure._

Goten leaned back in his chair and smiled to himself, "We're going to make it work. I'm going to go see her. Right now."

"Goten, she'd probably prefer if you didn't. Let me talk to her first, or maybe reach out to Cocoa?"

"It'll be fine, I'm sure she'll be happy to see me once I'm there. I'll go chat with her now, see the place before she packs it up."

Marron smiled tightly, "Well, good lucj. Go get her tiger."

Goten ran out the door smiling and took off towards West City, leaving Marron alone at the table. Gohan and Videl returned from the kitchen, the latter placing a plate of cookies on the kitchen as they both sat on opposite sides of the blonde.

"Marron," Videl started carefully, "Goten may be a bit oblivious, but I'm not. Is Paresu seeing someone?"

"I'm not 100% sure, but I think so," Marron whispered, "She's coming to my holiday party tonight, so I'll ask her."

"Do you think she cheated on Goten?" Gohan asked, rubbing his chin in thought, "Maybe the guilt made her break up with him?"

"No, not at all. She's not the type... but a mutual friend sent me a prviate video that showed her dancing with someone."

"That doesn't mean anything," Videl waved her hand. Marron looked down and Videl raised an eyebrow at her, "Marron?"

The blonde sighed and leaned back in her chair, "Look, I don't want to make any assumptions. But it was a club and they were, well, close."

"How close?"

Marron replayed the video in her head, remembering Trunks hands on her hips how close their faces were, "Like I said, I'll talk to her. Maybe it was a one-off."

* * *

Trunks sat in the meeting, listening idly to the chat from the various board members as they discussed plans for the corporate holiday party and plans for Q1. As he felt himself beginning to doze off, a buzz from his pants pocket caught his attention.

Pulling his phone from his suit, Trunks was greeted by a picture from Paresu, showing her in a bed lace bra with a white bow and a wink on her face. The message read, "Will I see you tonight?"

Trunks smiled to himself and typed a quick reply, "I wouldn't miss it. Is that all you're wearing?"

Her reply was almost instantaneous, "You'll have to wait and see. Lady in the streets, kinky in the sheets."

Trunks crossed his legs to hide the bulge growing in his pants. While he wanted nothing more than to continue their banter, maybe even pay her a visit, he knew he had to focus. "I'm holding you to that Ms. Amaguri. See you soon, beautiful." Trunks quickly muted his phone to ignore any additional messages, focusing his attention back to the meeting at hand.

* * *

Goten ran down the hall, stopping at the door in front of Paresu's apartment. While he still had a key to the unit, he didn't feel quite right barging in on her. As he knocked on the door, a soft voice called out, "Just a minute!"

A moment later, the beautiful brunette opened her door, her wide grin faltering to see her ex-boyfriend standing in front of her. She wore a silk robe and appeared to be in the middle of getting ready for an event.

"Hey 'Su," Goten sheepishly smiled and shuffled his feet, "Can I come in for a minute?"

Paresu stared back and frowned slightly, before standing aside to let Goten in. The demisaiyan walked in and took note of the various brown boxes piling the small one-bedroom, particularly on one labeled, 'Son Goten.'

"Is this mine?" he smiled and walked over. Inside were a few of his clothes and other miscelleanous belongings he had left at her apartment.

"Yeah, you can take that with you when you leave." Paresu flatly answered, "Why are you here?"

"You won't answer my calls or return my texts," Goten sorted through the bag absentmidily, fingering the soft material of a yellow and green shirt that she would sleep in. "I wanted to see you, talk about what happened."

"Goten, I don't know what you want me to say," she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

Goten put the shirt away and turned to face Paresu, "I want you to know that I'm sorry, and if you'd be willing to give us a second chance."

The brunette's mouth fell open, "Just like that? _Really."_

Goten nodded, flinching as she raised her voice in a rarely heard tone,"Goten...what the hell is your problem? You said you didn't want to get married and didn't know what kind of future we had together."

The dark-haired man raised his hands reassuringly, "I know, I know. I was going through something and -"

She cut him off with a look, "I know what you were going through with your dad. I lost a parent too, and you… damnit, Goten, you blocked me out. I wanted and tried to help you and you wouldn't let me."

Goten remained silent as she continued, "I loved you. I still do. Before the breakup, you were everything I wanted. It's been a rough few months, but I am just starting to feel like myself again."

Goten walked towards her and took her hands in his, "Paresu, please listen to me. I'm ready now."

She snatched her hands back and sighed, "Goten, please don't."

He wrapped his arms and pulled her close, whispering in her ear, "I love you. I can't imagine my life without you. Please, baby."

Paresu remained motionless in his arms, holding her emotions back. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and forgive him.

And the other part remembered Trunks.

"Goten, I have to tell you something," she whispered, "If, and that's an _if,_ we were to try again, you need to know something."

"Anything," Goten pulled back and smiled at her softly, "What is it?"

Paresu swallowed and looked deep into his onyx-eyes before starting, "It's been a few months since our breakup. And since then… I've slept with someone else."

Goten stayed silent, taking in the bomb she just dropped on him. He nodded and mumbled, "I see."

"Goten" she caressed his face with one soft hand, "I'm sorry, but I want you to know. If you really want to work on us, then no more secrets. No baggage. We go in to this ready to commit."

"Paresu," he licked his lips, "I'm not upset, we haven't been together in a long time. We both had other partners before getting together. But I need to know if this was a one-off or something more?"

"It's not what you and I had, Goten." she answered truthfully, "But I'm not going to lie to you, it's not a one-off."

"I see."

"Listen to me," she whispered, "If you really, truly, want to give us a second chance knowing this… then I'm not opposed to working on us."

Goten smiled sadly at her, "I want to give you 100% of me, so I'm going to take some time to digest this. But I do love you."

The brunette kissed his cheek, "I understand. I promise not to ignore your texts anymore."

The dark-haired man grabbed the box marked with his belongings and walked to the door. As Paresu opened it for him, he paused, "What is it Goten?"

"I really want to work on us. So if we do, then the other guy has to go" Goten looked at her flatly. She nodded in understanding as he walked out of her apartment and down the hall towards the elevator. As she closed the door behind her, Paresu slid down the front until she was sitting on the floor, contemplating her next move.

* * *

Trunks arrived at Marron's apartment shortly before nine, guests having filled her apartment in every available free space. There were couples hanging out on the couches, crowding the kitchen and drinks table, and off on the balcony enjoying a mixture of joints and cigarettes.

The blonde spotted the lavendar-haired man from the entrance, eagerly waving and coming over to kiss both of his cheeks. Trunks pulled back to admire her red christmas dress, lacy with long detailed sleeves. Following behind her was her boyfriend, Gem, who was dressed in a green, rather hideous Christmas sweater.

"What's up you two?" Trunks grinned at the couple.

"We're good man," Gem hugged Trunks, before wrapping an arm around Marron's shoulders, "You here by yourself?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure I'll recognize a few people."

"Oh yeah, Uub came in a bit ago. He's out on the balcony. Paresu is also here somewhere."

Marron watched Trunks carefully at the mention of the brunette's name to see his reaction. The blue-eyed demisaiyan remained stoic, just nodding as Gem continued to list the guests. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Paresu, laughing with a few female friends and sipping from a glass of wine. It took her a few moments to notice Trunks, who she smiled and waved to.

Trunks put a hand on Gem's folder, "Would you excuse me? I'm going to go get a drink and say hi to a few people."

"No prob, man!"

Trunks walked to the makeshift bar, pouring himself a glass of whatever cocktail Marron had conconcted. As he sipped on the holiday drink, he picked up hints of cinnamon and cream. As he turned to walk out of the kitchen into the living room, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Oh, hello there," she purred. He smiled at her, taking in her manicured appearance, before she lifted an index finger and pointed to the ceiling. Trunks looked up to see a display of mistletoe dangling over them.

He lowered his head and smirked at her, before leaning in, "I was wondering when I'd see you. I thought you weren't into pda?"

"It's tradition, nothing more" she stated mater-of-factly, "You have to kiss me."

Trunks leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her lips, mindful of the other guests at the party. Their lips pulled away from one another, both blushing at the cheers and hoots from those who witnessed the kiss.

"Excuse me," the brunette brushed past him, squeezing his hand as she walked down the hallway and towards the bathroom, before turning her head and winking at the demi-saiyan. Trunks waited until everyone's attention was diverted to their private conversations, before following Paresu's trail.

Knocking on the bathroom door, Paresu opened it pulled Trunks in for a kiss, closing the door behind her and locking it with her free hand. Trunks pushed her back against the vanity and lifted her so she was sitting on the cool marble countertop, her legs wrapped around his waist.

"I was wondering when we'd see each other again," he whispered in between kisses. He nibbled on her neck, inhaling the scent of her perfume. She pulled his face back to her lips, sucking his bottom lip softly as she pulled away. She placed a finger on his lips to stop him, eyes cast downward.

"What's wrong?"

"I saw Goten today," she whispered, "Nothing happened, but we talked. He wants to get back together."

"Is that what you want?" Trunks asked. _I guess this is the end._

"I don't know," she brushed his hair from his face, "I know what I said at my birthday a few weeks ago, but I think I'd like to give us a shot."

Trunks grinned at her and kissed her lips again. She laughed into the kiss and pulled away again, "So if you come home with me tonight, I'd like you to stay over. What do you think?"

Trunks kissed her back in agreement, one hand sliding in between her thighs to rub her wet thong. Paresu leaned her head back and moaned softly, before Trunks grabbed her mouth and pulled her for another kiss, "If you're going to moan like that, we need to go to your place. Now."

"Let's go then" she hopped off the countertop and pushed him against the wall as their tongues battled for dominance, her hand moving down to rub the bulge in his pants. She gave him a coquettish smile as she pulled away, "You going to be okay on the ride back?"

"I'll be fine," he smirked as he opened the door to let her out, "Let's go."

"You know, you're very sexy when you're pushy," she winked, Trunks patting her bottom in response. The two made their way down the hallway and to the living room, walking side by side. As Trunks opened the apartment door, Gem came over grinning.

"Hey, where are you guys heading off to?"

"Somewhere," Paresu smiled and grabbed Trunks' hand, leading him through the door, "I'll see you and Marron sometime next week."

Gem raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you two were together."

"It's pretty new," Trunks smiled before leaning in and whispering, "Please let one of us tell Marron, Gem."

"Sure thing." Gem hugged the lavender-haired man and Paresu seperatly, before closing the door behind him. Marron came over to where he was standing a few minutes later with a confused expression.

"Have you seen Paresu or Trunks? He just got here!"

"Not sure," Gem sipped on his beer, hoping she wouldn't read through the lie. "C'mon, let's see what everyone else is up to."

* * *

Paresu led Trunks into the dark apartment, switching on a light by the door to illuminate the living room. He noticed there were boxes stacked high, marked with various items such as clothing or cookware. She smiled at him as she led him to her kitchen, "I'm moving in with my sister for a bit to help take care of the new baby. Don't mind the boxes." She procurred two glasses from a cabinet and filled them with water, holding out one cool glass to him, "Are you thirsty?"

He took the glass from her and finished it in a few gulps, before placing it back on the counter and taking her chin in his hand. Trunks leaned, enjyoing the fullness of her lips against his as they kissed. She sighed in the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling back briefly to look in his eyes before placing her lips back on his again. Trunks moved his hands down her body, caressing her curves through the soft fabric of the dress, before leaning down to lift her legs and place her on the counter.

Paresu wrapped her legs around Trunks, pulling him closer to her as their kisses became hungrier. She parted her lips to let his tongue enter her mouth, slowly tracing over every detail of his mouth. He began to unbotton her dress, enjoying the reveal of her lingerie. She was wearing the same red laced bra from earlier that morning, with a matching red thong. As Trunks undid the last button, she shrugged out of the dress and lifted her hips, letting it fall to the floor.

Trunks pulled back to look at the brunette, running his hands all along her creamy skin, before bringing his hands to her hips. The blue-eyed man placed her legs around her, lifting her off of the countertop. Paresu wrapped her arms around his neck for support, pressing her soft body against his. He began walking towards her bedroom, before she bucked her hips against his and pushed him back, so that they landed on her couch.

Paresu lifted her hips to unbuckle Trunks' pants and pulled them partly down, reaching into his boxers to expose his hard cock. She leaned forward to kiss him, pulling back to whisper, "You don't happen to have a condom, do you?"

 _Fuck._ Trunks sighed and leaned back, "No. I guess you don't?"

"Goten and I... " she trailed off before continuing, "I'm on birth control, so we had stopped using them. I had a few at the capsule home and you've had them the last few times, but I don't have any here."

"I don't have anything," Trunks reassured, "You don't need to worry."

"Neither do I," Paresu nodded, "Then there's this… you're the only guy I've slept with since Goten. If we're going to do this, then I'd prefer that neither of us sleep with other people."

"You're the only one I want," Trunks caressed her face, leaning in to kiss her. She moaned into his kiss as his hands went to rub her sex, pushing the thong to the side to line her up with his member. He pulled her down to enter her quickly, biting her neck as she moaned his name. She began to grind her body against his, softly crying his name as he began to thrust with her movements. His hands moved to her bra clasp, undoing it to let her perky breasts fall into view. In response, she ripped open his shirt, her hands massaging his strong muscles as she humped against him.

Trunkes leaned back against the couch, holding her hips as he admired her rapid movements.

 _She's so fucking wet. I still can't believe this is happening._

Trunks licked his thumb and placed it on her clit, rubbing the bud each time she moved. Paresu threw her head back at his touch, her hands moving to his shoulders for support as she silently cursed. They couple continued their frequent pace for several minutes, before Trunks leaned forward and whispered, "Come for me, baby."

Seconds later he felt the brunette's muscles convulse around his member as she called his name. As she breathed heavily in recovery, Trunks lifted her up, still fully sheathed inside her, and walked towards her bedroom, slamming her against the wall as he began to roughly fuck her again.

Wrapping her legs tightly around him, the brunette released the grip on his shoulders to push the shirt down his back, digging her nails into him with each thrust. Trunks realized he was getting close, so he kissed her neck and whispered, "Where do you want me to finish?"

"Not inside, let me down." she firmly said. Trunks pulled out of her, letting the brunette stand on the ground before she dropped to her knees and took him inside her mouth. He grabbed a fist full of her hair as she licked his member up and down, tasting a mix of their fluids. With his grip, he shoved his cock in and out of her wet mouth, savoring the vibrations from her moans. With one hand, she jerked the length of his member, and used the other as support on his thigh.

Trunks grunted as she picked up her pace, slamming his hand against the wall as he came in her mouth. He watched as she swallowed, slowly jerking him to catch every last drop. She released him from her mouth with a pop, looking up at him with a coquettish smile and a wink.

"That was fucking insane," he groaned.

"Let's take a break before round two," she got up from the floor and kissed his cheek, walking to the kitchen. As she walked away he admired her body, not just sexually but for its beauty.

"You look so natural like this," he followed her to the kitchen, having pulled his pants and boxers off to match her nakedness. As she took a sip of water, he kissed her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her lovingly.

She leaned into his embrace and chuckled, "I spend quite a bit of time nude or wearing scraps for my work. It does feel natural."

"I'm not complaining," Trunks grabbed the glass from her hand, taking a sip for himself. As they enjoyed the embrace, he heard a buzzing from the living room. She began to remove herself from his embrace, but he held her firm, "Ignore it, stay with me instead."

"It's late, I want to make sure it's not an emergency," she insisted. She padded over to the couch where her phone had fallen, picking it up, "Hey Pigero, everything okay?"

The brunette listened for a few seconds before raising an eyebrow, "Already? Shoot, how bad is it?... Great, I'll be there soon."

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked, pouring another glass of water for himself.

"My sister is in labor. I'm sorry, but I need to go watch my nieces. Can we have a raincheck on that sleepover?"

"Oh shit! Want me to take you?" Trunks followed Paresu to her bedroom as she started pulling leggings and a sweatshirt from her drawer.

"That would be great! I'm going to shower quickly," she smiled at him, before teasing, "I'd invite you to join me, but we need to get moving."

"Another time," he smirked as she ran towards the bathroom. Trunks walked back to the living room and gathered his clothes and pulled his phone out of his pocket to see two messages, one from Marron and another from Goten.

Goten's text greeted like his others, "Hey buddy, it's been a while. You free for coffee tomorrow or Sunday?"

Trunks typed out his reply, sharing a time and place that would work for Sunday afternoon. He then turned his attention to Marron's message, which was not as warm, "We need to talk."

 _Fuck._

Trunks sighed as he leaned back against the couch, not noticing Paresu return from her bedroom. She carried a duffle bag over her shoulder, her hair damp from the shower, "Are you okay?"

"I think Marron knows about us," Trunks ran a hand through his hair, "One of us will need to talk to her before she tells Goten or anyone else."

"Damnit Gem," Paresu mumbled, "We'll worry about it in the morning, but we need to go. Are we driving?"

"I was going to fly us over there. You cool with that?" Trunks stood up. The brunette nodded and unlocked her balcony door, grabbing Trunks tightly as he lifted them off as she navigated them.

* * *

Marron waved as the last of her guests had left, closing the door behind her with a relieved sigh. She loved a good party, but she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crash with Gem and forget about her messy apartment.

The blonde entered her bedroom to see her boyfriend passed out on the bed, having stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt with his clothes thrown around the room. Marron chuckled to herself and gathered the clothes, dumping them in her laundry bin, and then began to undress herself. As she brushed out her hair, her mind wandered to Trunks and Paresu. She had texted both of them letting them know that they needed to talk.

She had suspicions about the two, and Gem hadn't been able to keep a secret from her for long. It's not that she minded, per se, she had after all introduced Paresu to both Goten and Trunks thinking she'd be interested in the lavender-haired man.

But she had chosen Goten. And Goten chose her.

Marron had moved on and starting dating Gem. They had all hung out together, Goten, Paresu, Gem and her. Sometimes Trunks too or other mutual friends. Marron was surprised with how well she took it to see Goten with another woman, and started to root for the two.

At least until they broke up. Marron had wondered if maybe, _just maybe_ , that Goten and her could have a chance. But he was still crazy about the brunette model. He couldn't blame him, Paresu was her friend after all. So she swallowed her feelings and resolved to help the two find their way back together.

Marron thought of what Gem told her, how Paresu and Trunks left together holding hands as they walked to her nearby apartment. The fact that neither had responded to her texts hours later told her what she needed to know.

 _I shouldn't be mad at them. But poor Goten._

As she climbed into bed with her boyfriend, she noticed the similarities between the two men. Dark thick hair, kind, not the brightest crayon, but well meaning.

 _Maybe Trunks has a point… I'm not over Goten after all._


	19. Chapter 19 - What About Us?

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry about the long hiatus! I work Monday-Friday and super long hours, so by the time it's evening or the weekends I can be drained from my job. No worries though, I have been thinking of this story consistently and hope to get back into a posting rhythm. I have a few more chapters of part one to post, before getting into part 2 of the story. Rather than making them separate fics- I think I'm going to post them all here.

* * *

 **C** **hapter Eighteen - What about us?:**

Cocoa smiled softly at the small face of her newborn son, running a hand through his soft reddish-brown hair. The brunette was enjoying a few precious moments alone before Pigero picked up Paresu and the girls. She shook her head with a smile. _I have three kids now… how the hell am I going to do this?_

A knock on the door brought her back to reality. Slowly, her husband opened the door and smiled at his wife, "We have visitors."

"I can't wait to see who it is," Cocoa called back, smiling as her daughters pushed the door open and came running towards the bed. Each girl came to a different side of their mother, cooing at the sight of their brother.

"Mommy, he's so little!" Makoto squealed, standing on the tip of her toes to get a better look.

"Can we hold him?" Satsuki asked.

"Girls, please go sit in the chairs and I can bring him over," their father reassured. The girls both ran to sit down, smiles spread wide across their faces. As Cocoa handed Pigero their son, she heard another knock from the door.

"Do you have room for one more?" Paresu smiled at her sister, a white paper bag in her opposite hand, "I went and picked up breakfast for you, hope your hungry."

"You're my favorite sister," Cocoa reached her hand out for the bag, eagerly grabbing it from her sister and pulling out the breakfast sandwich.

"I'm your only sister," Paresu giggled and kneeled between the young girls. Pigero had handed Satsuki the baby, who was staring in awe at the small bundle. The brunette beamed at the sight before turning back to her sister, "Do you have a name yet?"

"We're still working on it," Pigero yawned and scratched at his five o'clock shadow, "I thought Junior was a good name."

"I almost wish we had some sort of tradition, like the Briefs family," Cocoa sighed and leaned against the headboard. "Trunks and Bra, you get the idea. They could keep going with Boxers, Panties, Corset…"

"Hey, speaking of Trunks," Pigero began before Paresu shook her head, staring back and forth between Cocoa and her brother-in-law, before nodding her head towards the young girls. Satsuki had, with Pigero's supervision, handed her brother to her younger sister, and both girls were in awe of the bundle. Cocoa raised an eyebrow at her sister, who mouthed the words, "Little ears" before smiling at the girls.

"Hey hon," Cocoa began, "I know Paresu brought me food, but maybe the girls would like to have a bite. I'll need to feed the little man in a bit and would like some privacy."

"You got it," Pigero picked up their son from Makoto and carefully handed him back to his wife, "C'mon girls, let's go downstairs and have breakfast. We'll visit with your brother again after and then Aunt 'Su will take you home."

The girls ran over to their mom to give her a kiss on the cheek before taking their father's hand. Cocoa waited until their voices trailed off before turning to her younger sister, "Spill it."

"Trunks and I… we're sleeping together," Paresu pulled a chair up next to her sister, "He was with me last night and dropped me off at your house. Pigero saw me kissing him goodbye."

"I wondered how you got over to my place so quickly" Cocoa whispered and adjusted the baby in her arms, "Wait… Trunks and Goten are friends. When did you start sleeping together?"

"It happened while I was on the island after the breakup. He came to see how I was doing. We spent the day doing photoshoots, made dinner together... one thing led to another. I wrote it off as a one-off, but it happened again on my birthday. And again. And again." Paresu spoke quietly, running a hand through her hair, "He wants to start dating me and I told him I'd like to give us a chance."

Cocoa stared evenly at her sister before turning her attention back to the squirming baby in her arms. She unbuttoned the hospital gown and adjusted the baby's head to help him latch on. Cocoa smiled at her nursing son and turned back to Paresu, "What's the problem then?"

Paresu bit her lip and looked away before sighing, "Goten. He wants to get back together."

Cocoa chuckled and shook her head, softly stroking her son's head in her free hand.

Paresu frowned and crossed her arms, "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, 'Su. I'm not laughing at you," Cocoa reassured, gently adjusting the baby in her arms to the other breast, "So what are you going to do? Are you going to end it with Trunks and get back together with Goten. Or tell Goten no thanks… and tell him you're screwing his best friend?"

"When you say it like that, I'd rather jump off a cliff."

"You know, you could sleep with them both?" Cocoa smiled deliciously, enjoying the horrified look on her sister's face, "Instead of you being a sister wife, they could be your brother boyfriends. Or just take them both during a threes…"

"Cocoa!" Paresu hissed, "Little ears!"

"Oh, don't be silly. He won't remember this," Cocoa giggled, "Isn't that right, Haruto? Y'know, I think I like this name."

"It's a nice name," Paresu agreed, "And to your earlier point, I couldn't do that. Not just mentally and emotionally… I physically don't have stamina for both of them."

Cocoa adjusted her hospital gown and picked up baby Haruto over her shoulders, rubbing his back lightly to get him to burp, "You do have to make a decision though."

"I know, and I have." Paresu reassured, "I'll talk to them both separately later this week."

"Wait, which is which?" Cocoa asked before hearing the sounds of running feet. Paresu got up from her chair and kissed her sister's forehead, smiling down at her baby nephew.

"You ready to go girls?" Paresu smiled at her nieces, who each grabbed her hand, "We'll see you tomorrow when you come home!"

Pigero sat down next to his wife on the edge of the bed, the brunette handing him the baby so she could finish eating the breakfast from earlier. Her husband waited until Paresu and their daughters were far enough away before whispering, "Did she tell you?"

"She told me enough," Cocoa chewed on her food thoughtfully.

"I mean, she looked happier than I've seen in a while," Pigero rocked the baby, "Are they together, or is it just a "thing" like the kids call it."

"We'll see. Goten wants her back too," Cocoa sighed, "I just hope she makes the right choice."

* * *

Marron walked into the coffee shop, spotting Trunks who was by himself in a quiet corner. He was sitting in an overstuffed chair, sipping on his coffee as he waved back at her and smiled slightly. Marron stormed over to him and stared him down as he finished his beverage.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she whispered harshly and slapped his arm. He pulled back and rubbed his forearm.

"Ouch! What are you talking about?"

"You and 'Su." she took a seat across from him and leaned in, "You two weren't exactly discrete the other night."

"We're seeing each other, what's the problem?" Trunks leaned forward and leaned an eyebrow, "Last I checked she was single and so am I."

"Goten, your best friend and her ex-boyfriend, wants her back," she began before Trunks shook his head at her.

"She told me about that last night and wants to give us a chance," Trunks countered, "I know you care about us, but we're adults Mar. Stay out of this."

Marron considered this as she leaned back into the chair, "If you two really want to do this, then fine... how are you going to tell Goten?"

Trunks sighed,"I don't know, he's not gonna take it well whether 'Su or I tell him."

"Do you want me to be there when you tell him?"

"I don't want him to think everyone but him knows," Trunks shook his head and sighed, "Who else besides you and Gem know?"

"I may have mentioned something to Video and Gohan when I went there for lunch last week," Marron bit her lip, "...but I don't think they'd tell him."

Trunks raised an eyebrow, "Anybody else?"

"No," Marron narrowed her eyes at him, "Paresu hasn't said anything to me."

Trunks was surprised, "You're one of her friends and she didn't tell you?"

"If 'Su told anyone, it's her sister," Marron shook her head, "But she hasn't even hinted at anything with me."

Trunks heard a familiar laugh over by the counter and turned his attention to see Goten ordering a latte. The demisaiyan was wearing a dark olive jacket with a black scarf, a grey beanie covering his spiky hair. Goten grabbed his coffee from the barista, smiling at her before looking around for an empty chair. He quickly spotted Trunks and Marron and walked over.

"Look who's here! How are you guys?"

"Hey Ten," Marron blushed slightly at the dark-haired man, "We're just catching up. How've you been?"

"You know, same old same old." Goten took a seat besides Marron, "I'm back to a full schedule of clients and classes. Looking at apartments back in the city."

"Glad to see you're back at it man," Trunks smiled at his friend.

Goten smiled sheepishly at Trunks, "I'm sorry I was a jerk the last time I saw you man. Are we good?"

Trunks waved a hand at him, "We're good, forget about it."

The dark-haired man sighed in relief. He hesitated for a moment before beginning, "You know, I stopped by to see Paresu yesterday. I was hoping to… get reacquainted with her if you know what I mean."

Trunks and Marron froze and shared a concerned look as Goten continued, "She's been seeing someone. I don't know how serious it is, but I told her I wanted her back. I'm ready to give her the life she wants."

Marron smiled softly at Goten and grabbed his hand, "Goten, how do you know that she hasn't't moved on? It's been months since your breakup."

Goten looked at her with soft eyes, "We're meant to be together, I just feel it. She said she wants to work on us too."

"Wait, what?" Trunks shot up in his seat.

"Well, not exactly. She said she'd be willing to work on us, assuming we're all in this time."

 _That's not at all what she told me._ Trunks thought to himself. _We're gonna have to talk about this later._

"Maybe you two are meant to be," Marron mumbled as she took a sip of her coffee, before staring straight across at Trunks, "What about that other guy?"

"She didn't really say anything," Goten shrugged, "Just that it wasn't a one-off. I'm sure she'll end things with him and we'll be back together before New Years."

Trunks held his face steady, "Are you sure you want this, Goten?"

"More than anything. I bought a ring too!" Goten excitedly reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a black box. Flipping it open, a single diamond ring laid in the middle, "It might seem a little soon, but I've never been so happy."

Marron swallowed at the sight of the ring and forced a tight smile on her face, wishing Goten well with words of encouragement. Trunks just nodded as Goten continued to talk about his plans to win back the brunette.

 _Shit._

* * *

"Hey you," Paresu kissed Trunks on the cheek in greeting as she walked into his apartment at Capsule Corporation. After meeting Marron and Goten for coffee, Trunks had returned home only to text the brunette immediately asking her to come over. She had responded instantly, letting him know she'd head over once Piegero came home.

The lavender-haired prince sighed as he closed it and followed her back into his apartment. The brunette had taken a seat on the couch and was patting the seat beside her, an invitation which Trunks took. He raised an arm over the edge of the couch and Paresu moved in, snuggling against him and sighing contently.

The two stayed like this for a few minutes before she sighed and pulled away, "Okay, what's going on?"

Trunks hesitated before looking at her, "What do you want Paresu?"

"Where did this come from?" she asked amused, "Are you asking what I want for dinner? Or something else?"

"I meant with us. You and me." he answered firmly, taking her hands in his.

Paresu looked away and licked her lips. Trunks heart sank as she remained silent, avoiding his eyes as her expression changed.

"I know I said I was willing to give us a chance. I really, **really** like you Trunks." she started, "But there's something you should know…"

Trunks braced himself as she continued, "I saw Goten a few nights ago. It was before Marron's party. Nothing happened Trunks, but I still love him."

He stayed quiet as she continued, not quite hearing the rest of her words. He was brought back to reality as she caressed his face with a warm hand.

"Trunks?"

"I think you should give him another chance," he whispered.

"What about us?" Paresu asked, "You realize we can't continue doing this."

"I'll be fine." he chuckled softly.

"Are things with us going to be okay?" she pressed hesitantly, "Goten and I, if we get back together that could mean marriage. And children. You're his best friend, I don't want to put you in a tough place Trunks."

"I want you to be happy. I want him to be happy" Trunks reassured with a tight smile.

Paresu sighed in relief as she dove in to his arms to give him a warm hug. As he rubbed her back, she leaned over to whisper in his ear, "These past few weeks have really been wonderful. Thank you for everything."

Trunks held her tight, realizing that this would be the last time they would see each other for awhile. As Trunks walked her to the door, she turned to him and held his gaze.

"Trunks" she began hesitantly, biting her lip. His heart leapt, hoping she was changing her mind.

"You deserve to be happy too," she whispered and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. She gazed at him with sad eyes before turning away and walking out of his apartment and his life.


	20. Chapter 20 - Engaging Conversations

**Chapter Nineteen - Engaging Conversations**

 **Author's Note:** Originally this chapter was going to be much bigger, but I decided to split it into two and hope to have the next part early next week. The next chapter will be the end of Part One to "A Night in Heaven" as I see this story as being two parts.

* * *

 _Beep Beep Beep._

The alarm went off and jolted Trunks from his slumber. Turning over in bed, he slammed the clock, sitting up in bed with a groan. Another restless night of tossing and turning. It had been the same for several weeks. He would wake up, train with Vegeta, go to meetings. But day after day, he could not sleep.

Vegeta was more than willing to accept a sparring partner, especially after Goku's death. Every morning for the past few weeks, Trunks went to join him in the gravity chamber where they would start by setting the gravity to 50g, slowly increasing it upwards of 100 and 150g as Trunks adapted to the weight. He wasn't doing it to get stronger; Trunks hadn't cared to maintain his training after the galaxy tour with Goku and Pan. It exhausted him though, and kept his mind from wandering too much.

Work continued to numb his mind as well, from the board meetings to the ongoing projects to further expand Capsule Corporation's profit margins. In the past he always was sneaking out of the office, whether to goof off with Goten or be by himself, now he was staying late. Bulma had begun making her rounds towards the end of the day, first coaxing then demanding that he leave the office. And then he'd go to sleep, or try his best to. It was no use though.

Trunks sighed as he got out of the bed and stretched, rolling his stiff muscles and massaging the ache in his shoulders. He slowly moved over to his dresser, pulling out a tank top and pair of shorts for training. As he was tying his shoes he heard a knock and his door unlock and open.

"Ever heard of knocking," Trunks turned to see his mother, a concerned look on her face as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Trunks, honey, I'm worried about you."

"What are you worried about?" he forced a smile, "I'm just going to train with dad for a bit. Then shower and run Capsule Corporation. Doing exactly what you both wanted from me."

She shook her head and walked towards the edge of the bed, taking a seat on the edge and patting the spot next to her. Trunks took her invitation, sitting with a heavy sigh.

"You know you can tell me anything," she grabbed his hands, "I won't get mad. Promise."

Trunks chuckled, "Mom, I appreciate it, but you know, you do kinda have a temper."

"I know, I know," the bluenette smiled softly, "But if something is bothering you, you can tell me. I'm your mother, and I won't get upset."

Trunks licked his lips and looked up, before looking back at is mother, "Promise?"

"Promise."

"Fine, I'll tell you," Trunks began and nervously rubbed his knuckles, "You know Goten's ex-girlfriend, Paresu?"

"Yes, I've met her a few times. Nice girl and pretty, although a little dazed and distracted. What about her?"

Trunks stared ahead at his dresser, focusing on the knobs in front of them. He sighed and crossed his arms, looking down in defeat. Bulma studied her son, confused at his body language until she gasped.

"Oh Trunks...you didn't."

Trunks looked up to see his mother staring at him, her mouth open in surprise. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

"When?"

Trunks clicked his tongue and sat up, bouncing his head as he thought of the timeline, "The first time? September. I went to see her after she and Goten broke up, she had brought a capsule home to some island out by Papaya. We spent the day hanging out, and one thing led to another."

"Okay," Bulma nodded, taking this all in, "You said the first time, so I assume this wasn't a one-off. What happened after that?"

"She freaked out and told me it could never happen again. I tried texting and calling her, but she ignored the messages. I saw her a couple weeks later for her birthday, and one thing led to another… so it happened again. And then again. And then…"

"Okay, I get the idea," she waved her hand at him, "You two were having sex. I'm assuming it's over?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "It wasn't just sex though, Mom. I had feelings for her, real feelings. And I think she had them too."

Bulmba nodded as her son continued, "And then Goten, ha. He got out of his funk, and wanted her back. Came to her apartment to see her. Then hung out with me and told me he bought a ring. A ring! I thought she would tell him it was too late, that they were done. But I was wrong… she told me she still loved him. So I ended things with her."

Trunks went silent, before sighing and getting up from the bed, "I slept with my best friend's girlfriend. That isn't the worst part of it though, Mom. I fell in love with her."

"Oh, Trunks," Bulma sighed and got out of the bed, wrapping her arms around her son. Trunks hugged his mother back, and swallowed heavily.

"You can't tell anyone." he pleaded, "Not Dad, not Bra, definitely not Chi-Chi."

"Honey, your father wouldn't care. But I won't tell anyone."

"And you aren't mad?"

"No, of course not." Bulma pulled away and smiled at her son, "I think you should have known better, but what's done is done."

Trunks nodded and sheepishly rubbed his neck.

"I'm going to assume Goten doesn't know."

"Not unless Paresu said something to him," Trunks hesitated, "She's not stupid, Mom. If Goten knew she and I had… he'd kill me."

"Who else knows?" Bulma raised an eyebrow, "Obviously you two were discrete enough, otherwise it would be all over by now. West City's most eligible bachelor, and a supermodel, what a story that would be!"

"Marron and her boyfriend Gem figured it out, and she told her sister, Cocoa."

"Would any of them say anything?"

"Marron swore she wouldn't and Cocoa is loyal to her sister."

"Good." Bulma nodded and brushed her hair back, "That's very good."

"So, what do you suggest I do?"

Bulma hesitated before answering, and sighed heavily, "You know the story about your father and I. We met while I was on Planet Namek, looking for the Dragon Balls with Gohan and Krillin. We hated each other, after all he had killed Yamcha, and I was a "weakling Earthling." But he came back to Earth to live here at Capsule Corporation. We grew to respect one another, and then became friendly. And overtime that friendship became something more."

"Mom, where are you going with this?"

"You may have figured this out, but I was dating Yamcha around the time your father and I became intimate. And you were the result of that intimacy."

"Okay," Trunks took a deep breath, "Don't want details, but yes I knew that."

"What my point is, is that although I loved Yamcha very much, he was not right for me. Your father and I might not have a perfect relationship, but we love each other very much… in our own ways. I guess what my point is, is that if you really love this girl, then you should tell her."

"I don't know," Trunks waved his hand dismissively.

"Hey," Bulma raised her voice, "I didn't raise you to be passive, Mister. If you really want this, then do something about it."

Trunks considered this before sighing, "You're right. I'll call her in a few hours and ask to get coffee or lunch. Tell her how I feel."

"Before you do that, go see Goten first. Just to make sure you know what situation you are getting into," Bulma suggested before heading to the door. She turned back to him with her hand on the handle, "I'll take care of Capsule this week, and your father can train by himself for a few days. Go get her, Trunks."

* * *

For the first time in months, Trunks had a few days to himself without having to worry about Capsule Corporation. Feeling reignited with a passion, he took off for Hercule's Gym in Satan City, knowing that Goten would be teaching an early morning class there.

At the sight of his friend, Goten broke out into a huge grin and hugged Trunks tightly, knocking the wind from him. As Trunks recovered from the hug, he asked Goten if he would be free for lunch after his set of classes, an offer the dark-haired saiyan could never refuse. Three classes later and the two old friends were sitting across from each other at Ramen Yamadaya, a small noodle shop near the gym. At the sight of Goten, they immediately brought out three bowls for each man, having been aware of his voracious appetite.

"So how've you been man?" Trunks asked as he poured a cup of tea for himself.

"Everything has been going great! My classes have picked up in the new year, I now have a full schedule between that and my private students! I've been setting up my new apartment with Paresu. We got back recently!" Goten grinned as he dove into his first ramen bowl of the afternoon.

Trunks looked up at Goten, watching as his friend slurped away at his noodles. Leaning back in his chair, the lavender-haired forced a smile, "That's great. When?"

"Last weekend! I'd been trying so hard to spend time with her, but she kept turning me down. Said she was tired from helping her sister with the kids and new baby."

"Is she okay?" Trunks asked concerned.

"Yeah, she's fine. Have you met her nieces? Super cute, but a handful! But anyways, last weekend she finally agreed to go out with me. We had dinner, a couple drinks," Goten smiled devilishly, "Your boy got a home run too. First time in months."

It took all the energy Trunks had not to go super saiyan and smack the grin off of Goten's face, "That's great, man."

"I forgot how amazing she was," Goten sighed and leaned back smirking, "So fucking hot, and her tits… mhm."

Under the table, Trunks fist was shaking with a strong urge to land a few punches, "Look Goten, I'm happy for you, but I really don't want to know about you and Paresu's sexual escapades…"

"She did say something weird though," Goten continued, having not heard or ignored Trunks, "While we were having sex, she can be pretty vocal… it's hot and all, but she started to say someone else's name."

Trunks froze, sweat starting to trickle down his neck. _Please, please tell me she didn't._

"Tre… Tra… maybe Tray? Trent?" Goten whispered, "Must have been the guy she was with before we got back together."

"Have you talked about that?"

Goten looked curiously at Trunks, "What, the other guy? Not really, she told me it was done and that I didn't need to worry about it."

"Well said," Trunks coughed and picked up his chopsticks to point at Goten, "Your bowl is gonna get cold, Ten."

The dark-haired saiyan broke into a toothy grin, "Heh, you're right!"

The two continued to eat their noodles and eagerly moved onto their second and third bowls, while placing orders for other items such as gyoza, yakitori, and salads. Trunks tried to focus on the food in front of him rather than the news Goten had dropped on him. He was about to dive into his fourth bowl when a hand waved in front of him, breaking his concentration.

"Hey, T! Did you hear me?" Goten asked with a grin.

"Sorry Goten, the foods just so good," Trunks smirked, "Whats up buddy?"

"Now that you know Paresu and I are back together," Goten started nervously, "I plan on asking her to marry me. If she says yes, will you be my best man?"

Trunks felt like he had been slammed into a mountain. Not even the gravity chamber at 200G made him feel like this, "Are you sure this isn't too soon?" I mean you just got back together."

"We were together for about two years before our breakup and were only apart for five or six months. That way I see it, we love each other and are ready for this."

The lavender-haired man leaned forward and forced a smile to his face, "I'm honored, Goten."

"So that's a yes?" Goten asked, "Because if it is, we gotta get a bottle of sake to celebrate!"

Trunks just tightly smiled and nodded at Goten, who excitedly ordered a hot bottle and two glasses to toast with his best friend.

* * *

After lunch Trunks returned to Capsule Corporation, heading straight to his private quarters where he popped open a beer and turned on the television to distract himself. Nothing seemed to catch his attention, so the young man ended up lying straight on the couch, focusing on the popcorn marks in the ceiling. He stayed like that for many hours, until a knock on the door and the swift electronic opening brought him back to reality.

"Trunks? I just got off the phone with Chi-Chi," Bulma walked in, looking around for her son. He raised his hand from the couch to alert her, waving his empty beer bottle. Bulma grabbed two fresh ones from his fridge and joined him on the couch, "You knew already?"

"He told me at lunch today," Trunks sighed.

"Trunks, I'm so sorry." Bulma entered his room, "Just because they are engaged doesn't mean it's too late."

Trunks shot up from the pillow, "Did you say engaged?"

"Yes, I thought you knew already? Goten proposed tonight and she said yes! Chi-Chi couldn't believe it, since they just got back together last week, but she's over the moon."

"He sure doesn't waste any time," Trunks mumbled and accepted the beer from his mom, "He told me at lunch he was _planning_ to propose soon. I thought he meant, I don't know, next month."

"You'll have to ask him about it," Bulma suggested and took a sip from her beer, "Or you could talk to her too."

Trunks huffed and got up from the couch and began pacing the room. He _could_ ask her to meet him, either here at Capsule Corporation or somewhere private.

 _No, not private. We always end up doing something when we're alone… and now that she's engaged._

"Trunks? Just go ask her to get coffee or a beer."

"She doesn't drink beer."

"Okay, well you know what I mean! Something private, but not so private that you two would wind up in bed…"

"Alright Mom, I get it!" Trunks snapped at Bulma and sighed immediately, "I'm so sorry, Mom. That's not fair to you, it's a good idea. Maybe I should give them some time to celebrate before ruining this moment."

"Do what you think is best," Bulma cautioned and walked over to her son, placing both hands on his arms comfortingly, "I love you, no matter what you choose to do. But like I said earlier today, you will need to make a decision. Fast"

As his mother left the room, Trunks sat with a thud on the couch and contemplated what his next steps would be.

* * *

 **Author's Note 2:** I've seen many couples over the years break up, but then get back together after months apart as if nothing has changed. The history that is there can be hard to forget, and I think that is where Goten and maybe even Paresu is coming from. So although she had a seperate affair with Trunks, she had years with Goten. I can't wait to see how Trunks really handles the news of the engagement next time!


	21. Chapter 21 - Call It

**Chapter Twenty - Call It**

Authors Note: I had originally planned for this chapter to be bigger, but am working on the next one currently. Hoping that will be the break between Part I and Part II of this story. I have the next week off from work, so hope to get quite a bit of progress.

* * *

Paresu sat with her head down on the car bench, nervously playing with the diamond ring that sat on her left hand. She had debated removing the ring before their meeting, but imagined that he knew of her engagement by now. Goten had chosen well, against her assumptions. A single princess cut diamond on a gold band. She always liked the simple, classic designs best.

She looked up and turned her head each way, but Trunks was nowhere to be seen. Paresu leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes, imaging what their reunion would be like. Trunks had texted her a few days ago asking if they could talk somewhere alone. Although she jumped at seeing his name on her phone, Paresu felt ashamed knowing what he was asking to meet.

"So I guess congratulations are in order, Mrs. Son?"

Paresu opened her eyes to see Trunks standing in front of her, with his hands protectively in his pockets. He wore a dark blue winter coat, with the Capsule Corporation logo on the arm, grey pants and his standard yellow boots. His hair, recently trimmed, blue in the cool winter wind.

"That's not my name," she looks at him carefully and patted the seat beside her, "At least not yet. Do you want to sit so we can talk?"

"In a minute," Trunks answered cooly, "You know my mom gave me the heads up, otherwise I don't know how I would've found out. Maybe a magazine article or social media?"

"It should have come from me," Paresu whispered, "Or Goten, since you two have known each other forever."

"Speaking of your _fiance_ ," Trunks took extra emphasis on that word as he took a seat next to the brunette, "He told me that you two got back together, like a week ago. I guess you two had a real heart to heart, followed by you spreading your legs for him."

Paresu narrowed her eyes at him as he continued, "He told me all the details, especially about how you have 'great tits' and are a screamer. I wondered if he suspected our little fling, because apparently you started to say another name while you two were going at it. Trey? Trent? He wasn't quite sure what you were saying."

The brunette crossed her arms, "Don't give yourself too much credit, Trunks. I didn't say your name."

"But you almost did," Trunks looked her right in the eyes and held her gaze until she looked away. He wasn't sure if she had a light blush on her cheeks or if she was angry, "Paresu, I know you love Goten. At least that's what you've been saying to me."

"What are you asking me?"

"Do you love me?" he whispered and gently put a hand on her shoulder. The park was empty minus a few families in the distance. The only sounds were the distant children playing and the soft winter wind. Paresu stayed quiet for what felt like an eternity to Trunks, before grabbing his hand and answering softly.

"You are a great guy Trunks. Any woman would be lucky to be with you."

"That's not what I asked you, 'Su," Trunks whispered. As Paresu began to pull her hand away he grabbed it tighter, not enough to hurt her but to keep her attention. The brunette took a deep inhale, preparing herself for what Trunks was going to say next.

"I love you, Paresu. Since that night I met you, I've been head over heels for you. Everyday that I was on that damn spaceship looking for the Dragon Balls I thought of you. And as you and Goten grew closer, I thought my chance with you was done. I know this is shitty to say, but when you broke up I was happy. Because I knew that maybe we could have a chance."

"Trunks I don't -"

"Please let me finish," he implored. She nodded her head and Trunks continued, "And then we spent that night on the island, and other nights together. It wasn't just the sex though, you are an amazing woman. Paresu, you are kind and caring and fun. I loved every minute we were together, because I love you. And I need to know if you love me."

The brunette didn't answer him at first, but her body language told Trunks her answer. She rubbed her lips nervously and couldn't make eye contact with him, instead focusing on the families in the distance at the playground. After a few moments she composed herself and grabbed her purse, standing up from the bench and looked down at Trunks sadly.

"I'm marrying Goten."

Trunks bowed his head and squeezed his eyes tightly to hold back the hot tears. He felt a cool hand on his face as Paresu kneeled to look him in the eyes, looking at him sadly with tears in her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, lingering for a moment before standing up.

"I'm so sorry Trunks," she swallowed, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Paresu didn't wait for him to answer and instead began walking towards the park entrance, rubbing her hands to keep warm from the cold. Trunks watched as her figure became smaller and smaller until she disappeared around a corner. Once she was gone, Trunks looked around to make sure no one was watching, before taking flight into the sky.

* * *

Chi-Chi stood and watched the snow fall from her kitchen window as she prepared a large portion of pork dumplings in the window. She had been up since the early hours of the morning to prepare a family dinner to celebrate Goten's engagement.

Her son had always loved the dumplings best, so she had made sure to make the dough fresh that morning as well as the pork mixture. In another pot she was simmering Turtle Soup and in the oven she was roasting dinosaur steaks, which Pan had hunted earlier that morning at her request. After all, she had three hungry saiyans to feed in addition to herself, Videl, and Paresu.

Chi-Chi sighed contently as she began to put the filling inside the dumplings. The older woman's mind wandered, thinking first of her meeting with Goku and then to the memories they had built together. So many wonderful moments, from exploring the world together to having their sons, Gohan and Goten, and later when Videl joined the family and Pan was born. But so many of those years were in fear of enemies coming from Goku, there were times she felt like there was nothing to celebrate.

Chi-Chi placed the first of the dumplings in the bamboo basket for streaming and continued on to the second batch. Goku was gone, but she still had a purpose in being the Son family matriarch. The older woman thought of what was to come, with Goten getting married and Pan going away for school in a few years. Although she didn't want Pan to be far from home, she was comforted in the thought of there being more grandchildren in a few years.

As she placed the second round of dumplings in the steamer, Chi-Chi tried to imagine what they would look like. Pan looked so much like her father, but Gohan and Goten both looked more like their father. She wondered if Goten and Paresu's children would have their mother's brown hair and eyes, or Goten's goofy grin. She chuckled to herself and shook her head.

 _It's too early to think about that now. They aren't even married yet!_

* * *

Paresu opened the door to her sisters house carefully, expecting to be pummeled by her nieces or handed a screaming baby by her tired sister. For the last three months she had been staying at Cocoa's to help with her nephew and the girls, from dropping them off at school to helping with meals and the bedtime routine. She was pleasantly surprised to find the house calm and tiptoed around the corner to see her nieces engrossed in an afternoon movie. Sighing with relief, the brunette smiled to herself and ran up to the guest bedroom where she had been staying.

On the bed was her half packed suitcases, which she would be dropping off at Goten's later that day. Her fiance had asked her to move in with him now that they were engaged. Although she loved her family, she was ready to have her own space again.

A knock on the door brought her back to reality. Paresu turned to see her sister Cocoa standing in the door with a cup of tea.

"Hey sis, come in!" Paresu smiled brightly, "I hope I didn't wake you, I'm just finishing packing my stuff. Goten will pick me up later tonight, but I'll come by this weekend for dinner."

"You're fine," Cocoa reassured and sat in a chair next to the bed. The older brunette took a deep yawn and took a sip of her tea, "Where were you this morning?"

"I went to the park," Paresu answered nonchalantly before looking at Cocoa with a concerned expression, "Can you drink that while nursing?"

"It's my third kid, I think he'll be fine," Cocoa smirked, "What were you doing at the park?"

The model breathed in quickly before sheepishly smiling, "Trunks wanted to talk to me, so we met up for a bit."

Cocoa raised her eyes at this, "Did anything happen?"

"No, we just talked," she sighed as Cocoa maintained her stare. Paresu huffed and rolled her eyes, knowing that her sister would remain persistent "Fine, you win! Trunks told me he loves me and wanted to know if I felt the same way."

"Do you?"

"I'm marrying Goten."

"I know, there's a ring on your finger." her sister spoke gently, "That doesn't answer my question. Are you in love with Trunks, 'Su?"

Paresu toyed with the fabric on a shirt she was folding, contemplating her answer. Sighing, she finally turned to Cocoa and answered, "It doesn't matter. It's over between us, Cocoa. I need to finish packing, Goten will be here soon to pick me up. Can you give me some space?"

As Cocoa walked back to the door, she turned to watch her sister continue packing. The younger woman remained silent, folding and refolding her items in perfect concentration. Cocoa rapped her knuckles lightly on the doorframe to catch her sister's attention.

"Call it whatever you want, but you're in love. You should tell him."

Cocoa turned the corner, leaving Paresu alone in her bedroom. The younger woman sat on the bed staring at the ground until her eye focused on the diamond on her left ring finger. It's beautiful sparkle tortured her.


	22. Chapter 22 - Making Choices

**Chapter 21 - Making Choices**

 **Author's Note:** I haven't posted an update in a while and wanted to share a portion of what I was writing. I had originally intended this to be the end of Part I, but feel that the next chapter might be a nice scene split.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Chi-Chi's engagement part comes out. If you have any suggestions, I totally welcome them in the comments!

* * *

"Welcome home, babe!" Goten grinned as he opened the door and held it open for the brunette. Paresu walked in, careful not to bump her duffel bag against the freshly painted walls and took in her new home. The living room was sparsely decorated with only a couch and a few piles of boxes indicating anyone lived in the space.

"I know there's not much to look at now, but now we can decorate together," Goten grinned at her and took the duffel bag from the brunette's shoulders, "I'll put these in our room, I've already made space in the closet."

Paresu followed him to the bedroom, noting the piles of dishes in the sink as they walked past the kitchen. She shook her head and smiled at the mess, "So have you learned to cook yet?"

"Hey! I can make a few things," Goten opened the door to the bedroom and put the duffle on the floor next to the closet. The bedroom was nearly as sparse as the living room, with only a mattress and a bed frame indicating an owner. Goten sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him, indicating that Paresu should join. She took his invitation and raised an eyebrow at him.

"So for breakfast tomorrow, you can make eggs?"

He smiled at her, "I sure can! Do you prefer them scrambled, fried, or fertilized?"

She groaned and slapped his arm in mock annoyance as he chuckled and pulled her close, nuzzling her neck. Goten kissed her neck slowly as he ran his hands under her sweater to rub her back. He moved his lips from her neck across her cheek before meeting her lips and kissing her hungrily. Paresu kissed him back for a moment before moving her head to the side so he kissed her neck.

"Not right now. We have to be at your mom's in two hours."

"We can get a lot done in two hours," he nibbled her neck and moved his hand around from her back to the front of her body. "I've missed you, sexy."

Paresu moaned softly at his touch before pulling away, taking his hands from under her sweater and forcefully placing them on her hips. Sensing his disappointment, the brunette leaned in and kissed her fiance softly, "I'm sorry, Goten but I'm not up for it right now. This is the first time your family is seeing me since we broke up"

"What are you nervous about, 'Su?" he kissed her forehead, "Everyone's so happy for us. My family will be there, the Briefs will be there..."

The brunette forced a smile on her face, "The Briefs?"

"Yeah! Mom thought that instead of a family dinner that she might as well hold an engagement party for us," Goten sheepishly grin, "I was gonna surprise you when we got there."

"How wonderful," she whispered distantly as her fiance continued to grin, "You said _everyone_ will be there?"

"Yup!"

"Well, I should get ready then.." she pulled away and walked towards the shower, grabbing a few items from her duffle bag on the way. Goten stood to follow her before she wagged a finger at him, "Alone."

Goten put his hands up and laughed gently, "Okay, okay. But when we get back tonight, I think we could continue to get "reacquainted" with each other."

In response the brunette winked at him, before closing the bathroom door behind her and turning on the shower. As she stripped down and began to rinse herself, she tried imaging all the possible outcomes of the night. She was still bothered by her conversation earlier that morning, both with Trunks and her sister before Goten picked her up.

 _I just hope I'm making the right choice._

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Marron snapped her fingers in front of Trunks, breaking his trance. She had found the lavender-haired prince staring out the window, silent and unblinking.

"Sorry, Mar." Trunks shook his head, "I've just had the worst day and found out it's about to get worse tonight."

"What's happening tonight?" Marron grabbed a bottle of water from her purse and opened it to take a sip.

Trunks eyed her carefully before turning back to the window, answering flatly, "Goten and Paresu's engagement dinner."

Marron spit out her water against the winner and began coughing. Trunks watched her, knowing that if he hit her back he could risk breaking it. The blonde eyed him coldly as she recovered and hissed at him, "You couldn't have given me a bit of warning?"

Trunks shrugged casually, "She got back together with Goten a couple weeks ago, after things ended between her and I. The engagement is pretty recent."

Marron groaned and sat down in the chair next to him and buried her face in her hands. Trunks rubbed her shoulder with one hand as she muttered a string of curses under her breath. He leaned over and whispered softly, "So I take it you're not over Goten yet?"

Sitting up the blonde blinked a few times before turning to Trunks, "I broke up with Gem yesterday. I kind of thought it was now or never and that I could tell Goten how I felt about him… maybe it's not too late?"

Trunks shook his head and grabbed her hand, "I'm sorry Mar, but Goten is getting married. You lost your chance, and I lost mine."

"So now what?" she sighed exasperated and leaned back in the chair with a thud.

"I don't know," he answered honestly before giving her a teasing smile, "Maybe we could date?"

Marron snorted and rolled her eyes, earning snickers from the young man "I think we'd kill each other."

"Probably," nodded his head to the side and chuckled. Trunks grabbed his own bottle of water and took a sip, not noticing Marron watching him sadly.

"Does Paresu know how you feel about her?"

Trunks hesitated before answering, "Yes. We met up earlier today and I told her that I loved her. She didn't answer me when I asked how she felt, just that she was marrying Goten."

"She's never been one for confrontation," Marron nodded, "She's a people pleaser and likes to see people happy."

"I always wanted to ask you something," Trunks asked distantly, "Why didn't you ever tell Goten about how you feel? Or tell Paresu about your crush on him before they started dating?"

"Remember the morning after we went to Heaven? We were on your balcony and I told you how I thought she'd be interested in you. Well the next morning at work, she was so giggly about him and he was already head over heels about her. A few weeks after that night, I was going to talk to her and tell her how I felt about Goten."

"What happened?"

"This was after you left to search for the Dragon Balls. Goten came backstage to congratulate her and I saw them kissing."

"Just kissing?"

"Like, 'I'm going to take you home and fuck you kissing.' I knew right there and then that my chance with Goten was done. So I went out to a bar and met Gem. We were happy enough, but it wasn't the same."

Trunks nodded in understanding as Marron's voice trailed off. He wrapped an arm around his friend reassuringly and whispered, "There are so many things we don't say to protect the ones we love."

Marron leaned in to the hug and wrapped an arm around her friend, "Thanks, Trunks."

"For the record," Trunks began and looked down at Marron, "I always thought Gem looked like Goten."

"Yeah," Marron sheepishly turned her head away and wrinkled her nose, "I know. Word of advice - don't go looking for a girl who looks like Paresu. It'll make things one thousand times worse."

Trunks chuckled and got up to stretch, "You got it. Say, do you want to come to this thing with me tonight? We can be happily miserable together."

"As amazing as that sounds," Marron began as she got out of her seat, "I have to pick up Gem's things. Would you like to help?"

"I have to go to this dinner," Trunks shook his head, "It would be weird if I wasn't there."

"Trunks, it's going to be weird that you ARE there." Marron pointed out, "Give me a call if you change your mind."

As the door closed behind Marron, Trunks walked over to his closet and began looking through his dress shirts. He thumbed through each nervously, before selecting a crisp white button down and dark blue pants. The lavender-haired prince walked towards the shower, deposing his items on the countertop as he ran the hot water. As he entered the shower, Trunks leaned against the wall and focused in concentration on the tiles.

 _I hope I'm doing the right thing._


	23. Chapter 23 - Meal Prep

**Chapter 22 – Meal Prep**

 **Author's Note:** I lied again. I split this chapter and the next because it was otherwise going to be 4,000 words or so. The next chapter should be, hopefully, the last chapter of Part I in ANIH. Most of the next chapter is written out, there's two scenes that I need to finalize and then I can upload.

I'm working on some fanart for this story and hope to add it to my Deviantart account. Once it's up I'll link stuff for everyone.

* * *

Pan and Bra walked towards the Son family's living room, each girl carrying one side of the dining table leaf towards an already large dining table. The girls had been hiding out in Pan's room as the adults prepared for the engagement dinner, until Chi-Chi had come upstairs and glared daggers at them, forcing the two to make themselves useful.

"What do we have to do after this, Pan?" Bra huffed as she lifted the leaf into the table. It wasn't that the item was heavy, but she was annoyed to be interrupted from her texting.

Setting the leaf into the table, Pan cocked her head as she remembered the list of tasks her grandmother had rambled at them, "I think Grandma wanted us to set the table and then go to the kitchen to help with the cooking."

"Cooking? My mom and your mom are already helping with that," Bra wrinkled her nose, the thought of Chi-Chi's mountain foods was less than appetizing. "Besides, I don't even like cooking."

"You really want her to go kaio-ken on your ass? Be my guest, but I'd like to live tonight."

"Girls?" a voice called from the kitchen, "If you're done in there, then come help us in the kitchen. If you aren't, then you better get your butts moving before I come out there!"

Pan and Bra looked at each other and sighed, before entering the kitchen to retrieve the silverware. Chi-Chi was standing over the stove stirring a large pot, which from the scents it was emitting, Pan imagined was some type of trout soup. Her mother, Videl, was a few feet away from Chi-Chi and rolling out some dough for the dumplings. Originally the plan was for the dinner to just be the Son family, but after inviting the Briefs and a few other friends of the family, the older Son matriarch had enlisted the help of her guests to help prepare the dinner.

"Mom? When is everyone else arriving," Pan asked as she stood on her toes and grabbed a few plates from the top shelf. The teenager had recently gone through a bit of a growth spurt and now stood several inches above her petite mother and grandmother and was only a head shorter than her father.

"They should be arriving soon!" Videl answered quickly before a doorbell confirmed her estimate, "Pan, Bra, could one of you get the door?"

Pan left the kitchen and placed the plates on the dining table before walking towards the front entrance. The dark-haired girl opened the door to reveal her uncle and soon to be aunt, who smiled back at her.

"Paresu!" Pan chirped as she embraced the older woman. Paresu giggled and hugged Pan back before pulling away and taking a look at her.

"Gosh, you've grown up so much since I last saw you Pan. You're a young woman now!"

"What, am I chopped liver?" Goten joked as he watched the two women interact. Pan gave her uncle a tight hug, before opening the door wider to let the couple walk in. The couple removed their shoes by the door, with Goten heading towards Gohan's study to find his brother and Paresu making her way to the kitchen.

"Need my help?" she tapped Chi-Chi on the shoulder and smiled when the older woman screamed happily and wrapped her arms around the brunette. The matriarch kept mumbling to herself before pulling away. Videl came over as well to give her future sister-in-law a hug, having decided with her husband to "forget" the information Marron shared with them months earlier.

The three women chatted for a moment before Paresu turned her attention to Bra, who had returned from the kitchen to grab more utensils. The bluenette's body stiffened as she felt the model approaching, but forced a smile on her face to greet the older woman.

"Paresu," Bra began coolly, "Congratulations on Goten's and your engagement. You must be so excited."

"Thank you, Bra! How have you been?" the brunette smiled back at her.

 _So she wants to make small talk?_ Bra thought. _Fine then._

"Oh, I've been amazing! You know how high school is. I'm just so, so busy with my classes, preparing for college, and then in my free time going shopping with my friends," Bra began as Paresu nodded, "But I've also been busy spending time with my brother."

Bra continued, noticing that brunette was keeping her expression flat, "He's been so hung up about this girl. He was head over heels with her, but she broke his heart to be with another man. Apparently she 'loved them both.'"

"Oh how terrible!" Chi-Chi gasped, having eavesdropped as she continued to prepare the various dishes for dinner.

"What's terrible?" Bulma asked as she entered from the porch and stashed her phone in her pants pocket, "Sorry about that, I was on the phone with Trunks. He's on his way with Vegeta and they should be here within twenty minutes."

"Bra was just telling us how Trunks had his heartbroken by a girl!" Chi-Chi shared, "How horrible. But you should tell him, she's probably a worthless whore."

Bra smirked at Chi-Chi's response and Bulma, noticing Paresu's pale face, turned to her daughter and frowned, "Trunks will be alright. Let's not focus on that tonight though, Bra. We're here for a happy occasion."

The teenager rolled her eyes and stalked towards the living room with the remainder of the cutlery. Sighing, the older bluenette woman smiled at the three adults in the kitchen, with the two Son women returning to their cooking. Once their attention had returned to the tasks at hand, Bulma leaned forward to whisper in the brunette's ear.

"Just so we're clear, I don't like what you did to my son. But I will not let my daughter make a fool of you or more importantly herself either."

The brunette did not reply, just nodding solemnly as she absorbed the older woman's words before plastering a smile on her face and helping her future mother-in-law with the various dishes.

* * *

Gohan was busy reviewing his student's papers when a knock on the door broke his concentration. Turning his head, the older man was greeted with the smile of his younger brother.

"How's it going professor?" Goten teased. Gohan pushed the desk chair out and gave his brother a hug before ushering him into his study and closing the door behind him.

"Same old here. My students are the same, we're all fine," Gohan sat across from his brother and smiled to himself, "So my little brother is going to be a married man!"

Goten smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, it's about time someone made an honest man out of me!"

"So when were you two thinking of getting married?"

"We haven't really talked about any of that yet," Goten twiddled with his thumbs and blushed, "The proposal was pretty sudden. We were just hanging out at my place and the timing felt right."

"She must have been pretty excited," Gohan nodded, but his statement was more of a question than a comment.

"It was actually kinda strange. She walked away from me and stared out the window in shock" Goten chuckled, "But after a few minutes I came over and asked her again. She then kissed me and said yes!"

"Well, I know Pan is excited for her to join the family. I'm sure her family is just as excited too!"

"We haven't celebrated with them yet, her sister is so busy with the three kids. But I'm sure we will soon," Goten paused before looking directly at Gohan, "Did you and Videl ever think about having a second child?"

"We talked about it, but there was never a good time. Pan is going to college next year, she doesn't need a little kid running around," Gohan shrugged, "Why are you asking?"

"Well," Goten licked his lips, "I told Paresu I wanted to start a family with her right after we get married. She's been kinda weird about it though, changing the subject or saying we can talk about it after the wedding."

"Maybe she's not ready yet?" Gohan gently suggested.

"I don't know, she loves children. We used to talk about how many kids we wanted or names we liked," Goten raised an eyebrow, "You don't think she's having second thoughts, do you?"

"I wouldn't know, Goten," Gohan answered truthfully, "That's something you should talk to your fiance about."

* * *

In the living room, Bra and Pan had been relinquished from their duties and were discussing their college plans. Pan had already settled on going to Orange Star University, at least for her first year, to be near her father and grandfather during the week. Bra was leaning towards West College for similar reasons, although she was considering other opportunities.

"Well I know after university I could help out with Capsule Corporation," Bra wondered to herself, "Mom and Trunks have their hands full, so I'm sure they'd find a place for me. But I really want to work in fashion and beauty. Maybe I could be a runway model, or build my social media following?"

"You know you could ask 'Su, I'm sure she'd help you!" Pan suggested.

"Not interested," Bra answered cooly.

"Why not? She's a model," the dark-haired girl emphasized, holding her hands out as if to say "duh."

"Not the type of modeling I want to do. I want to do something classy, more high fashion," the bluenette flipped her hair dramatically, "Besides, she's older than me. Times have changed, Pan."

"You are so strange," Pan mumbled.

* * *

Trunks and Vegeta landed on the front property of the Son household around 8:00 PM. The warm yellow mountain home was an inviting sight to the younger of the two, especially considering it was a cold, snowy night. The lavender-haired man knocked on the door and quickly put his hands back in his pockets, keeping them warm and protected.

"You excited Dad?" Trunks smirked, already anticipating his father's sarcasm.

"Yes, because my idea of fun is having dinner with Kakarot's spawn and their families," Vegeta answered flatly.

"So … you'll be leaving after dinner?" Trunks teased as the door opened, greeting them with the smell of freshly cooked dinner. Trunks smiled at Videl and gave her a quick hug, his father nodding and offering a slight smirk at the dark haired woman in greeting before they followed her inside.

"You two are right in time, dinner's about to be served!" Videl called as she returned to the kitchen. Vegeta took his place at the table, being joined by Bra moments later. The saiyan prince leaned over and kissed his daughter on the forehead, her being one of two individuals who earned any affection. Trunks smiled at the sight, before turning towards the kitchen to see if the Son women needed any help.

"Excuse me?" a high pitch voice called out, "Aren't you going to say hello? Rude."

Trunks turned to see Pan standing before hand with her hands on her hips, tapping a foot in mock impatience. Although she was frowning, her lips started to turn until she started giggling. The brunette teen ran into his arms and hugged him tightly, before pulling away and smiling up at him.

"You've gotten tall, Panny!" Trunks smiled and took in the teenager. During their tour in space she had been much shorter than him. Now she was only a head shorter.

"Uncle Goten and Paresu said the same thing!" Pan chirped, "I guess I should start calling her Aunt now though, huh?"

"Yeah I guess," Trunks trailed off and inhaled sharply, "They're here already?"

Two strong arms wrapped themselves around Trunks and lifted him off the ground, causing the lavender-haired prince some shock. As his assailant put him back on the ground, Trunks heard snickering from the two teenagers and even his own father offered an amused grunt.

"Hey buddy, long time no see!" Goten slapped Trunks on the back, "Guess I got you right?"

"You got me alright, Ten," Trunks high fived his friend and brought him in for a quick hug, "I haven't shared my congrats with you and 'Su yet. Where is she?"

"In the kitchen with our moms and Videl. Do you want a drink?"

"Water is fine," Trunks answered calmly as Chi-Chi opened the door to the kitchen. Bulma came out first with the trays of vegetables, followed by Videl with the soup and Paresu with another platter of food. Goten and Trunks watched as the women set the food on the table, before the dark-haired man grabbed his fiance's hand and pulled her close.

"Babe, stay a moment and say hi. It's been a few months since we've all been together," he grinned, oblivious as to the history between his best friend and fiance, "I feel like the luckiest man alive."

"It's easy to see why," Trunks forced a smile on his face and took in the brunette's attire. She had let down her hair from earlier that morning and was wearing a familiar maroon dress. "You look beautiful tonight, 'Su."

She blushed and smiled softly at him, before turning back to Goten, "You two are both very cute." The brunette untangled herself from her fiance's grasp and walked towards the kitchen, "We can talk after dinner is served!"

"I'm cuter obviously," Goten turned to Trunks and grinned, "C'mon let's take a seat, man. I'm starving!"


	24. Chapter 24 - Love is Pain

**Chapter 23 - Love is Pain**

 **Author's Note:** I am so excited to share the end of Part I of A Night in Heaven. I have been trying to figure out the best way to share the awkwardness of the dinner, the mixed feelings of the participants, while lining up the plot for the second half of the story. I have the outline for Part II, so keep an eye out over the next few weeks for updates!

* * *

As the women continued bringing out additional dishes from the kitchen, Trunks, Goten, Vegeta, and the teenagers all took a seat at the long dining table. Gohan was finishing the last of his grading from the study, but called out that he'd be joining momentarily. Once all the dishes were on the table, Chi-Chi took her place at the head and Videl took the seat next to her. Noticing her fiance and Trunks sitting next to each other, Paresu made her way to the opposite end of the table until Chi-Chi called out to her.

"Don't you want sit with my son?," Chi-Chi pointed to the seat Trunks was in, "I'm sure Trunks would move over so you two can sit next to each other."

"It's fine, Chi-Chi," the brunette laughed lightly, "I don't mind sitting elsewhere."

"Nonsense! Trunks will move over and then you will sit in between them. What a lucky girl, surrounded by two handsome men."

Bra stifled a laugh as Paresu forced a gracious "thank you" and moved to sit between the two men. Trunks had gotten out of his seat and pulled it out for the brunette, quickly taking the spot next to her. As she sat down Goten wrapped his arm around the back of her chair.

"So Mom, what all do we have here?" Gohan asked as he entered the dining room and took the last seat opposite of his mother, "It all smells good!"

"Well let's see. There's steamed pork buns, mapo doufu, fried green beans, di san xian, the fish, chicken skewers, turtle soup, and rice."

"Yes, time to chow down!" Goten picked up his chopsticks and eagerly began piling food onto his plate and turned to the brunette and lavender-haired man next to him, "You've got to try Mom's di san xian. It's so good!"

For the next several minutes, the only sounds were the clinks of silverware as everyone ate the various dishes. As Trunks began helping himself to a second helping of the fish, he noticed Pan's eyes focusing on him.

"What's up, Panny?"

"Well you know how prom is going to be at the end of the year," Pan looked down sheepishly, a blush covering her face, "I wasn't planning on going, but Bra is going and so are my other friends. Would you be willing to go as my friend?"

Trunks blushed and rubbed his neck, "That's sweet of you, Panny. But you should go with someone your own age. I'm an old man and won't be any fun."

"It's true, Pan," Goten interjected with a grin, "He'd have to leave right at midnight, or else he'll turn into a pumpkin."

"Wait till you get to be my age, Ten," Trunks smirked, "Then you'll see."

"Well don't worry about him, Pan. I'm sure you could go with Akira or Ruler," Bra smiled at her friend before winking at Goten, "But how about you, Goten? You're still young and hip. Would you go to Prom?"

"Nah it would be creepy," Goten chuckled and rubbed Paresu's back, "Besides I'm sure my fiance wouldn't like me going to Prom."

"Prom?" Paresu raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

"Well I guess the elevator doesn't go all the way to the penthouse," Bra mumbled before her mother kicked under the table, glaring her down with cold blue eyes.

"It's like a homecoming dance. I guess you never went to one since you didn't finish school," Goten explained.

"You didn't finish high school?" Chi-Chi leaned forward in her seat, her voice rising several octaves.

"No I did," Paresu reassured and gave her fiance an annoyed look, "I finished my last two years remotely since I was already a model. I didn't go to college though. Maybe I will after I retire, before Goten and I start a family."

Chi-Chi calmed down and got a distant smile on her face, "Oh grandchildren. If only Goku was here to see them, when he wasn't off fighting he loved being with everyone. I wish Gohan and Videl had more, but I'm so excited for you and Goten to start having children."

Gohan coughed to get his mother's attention, "We know, Mom. Let's move on though."

Chi-Chi continued as if she hadn't heard her son, "Have you thought about names yet? I always liked Gosan or Gomen for a boy. I never thought of girl names though… maybe Gochi?"

"I love a family tradition, Chi," Bulma chimed in, "Afterall, Trunks and Bra inherited family names. What do you think of Panties, Thong, or Boxers?"

"Wow, what great names," Paresu forced a smile and spoke slowly, "Goten and I will keep them in mind for when we do have children."

"Well I can't wait to have kids," Goten kissed her cheek, "I hope we have enough for a training squad in a couple of years."

Paresu lifted her wine glass and took a large sip. She turned her head to the two teenagers and smiled, "So tell me more about this prom."

"Well, you know what homecoming is?" Bra asked and waited for the brunette to nod, "Cool, well it's basically the same thing. Pan and I don't have dates yet, although I've been asked out a few times."

Vegeta took his eyes away from his plate and frowned, "None of them are good enough for you."

"I know that, Daddy." Bra reassured, "That's why I haven't said yes yet."

The dark-haired man returned to his food as his daughter continued, "I'm more excited about after prom though. Everyone goes away for a weekend to the beach and it'll be so much fun!"

"I'd be careful if I were you, Bra" Bulma cautioned, "I know you are a responsible girl, but I don't always trust others your age."

"Would you want to go too, Pan?" Gohan asked his daughter.

"Meh, not really," Pan chewed thoughtfully on a dumpling, "I'm not really into partying and that kind of stuff."

"Partying? What partying?" Gohan looked at Videl, who sighed at her husband's concerned expression.

"Don't worry about it, Gohan" she reassured and gave her daughter a pointed look, "Pan said she's not interested, so you don't have to worry."

"Ah the good ol' days," Goten chimed in, "Trunks and I used to go crazy. We're definitely more toned down now that we're adults."

"I remember," Chi-Chi glared at her son, "The mess you two used to make after a night out. You were so different from your brother who behaved so well."

Gohan smiled and Goten sheepishly blushed as Chi-Chi continued, "Were you a good girl in high school, Paresu?"

"I didn't drink until I was eighteen," the brunette reassured, "I'm not into partying."

"Except on your birthday," Trunks thought to himself, without realizing he said it aloud. The room got quiet as everyone looked between the lavender-haired prince and the model.

"Trunks was at your birthday?" Goten asked with a raised eyebrow.

Paresu glared at Trunks before forcing a nervous laugh, "Oh, silly me I forgot! Trunks ran into me and my girlfriends as we had a few birthday cocktails. Nothing crazy."

"Yup, that's all," Trunks elaborated, realizing the error he had made, "Since Paresu doesn't really drink, but she had two drinks that night. Maybe three."

Under the table, the brunette grabbed Trunks hand and gripped it tightly, digging her nails slightly into his hand to silence him.

"Huh," Goten thought before smiling at his friend, "Wait that makes sense! Once you ran into 'Su and her friends, you tagged along to make sure they were safe and having fun. Was it a good ride?"

"The best," Trunks answered flatly as Paresu coughed up the wine she was sipping. Goten rubbed her back concerned as she reassured she was fine.

"I think we've all finished," Paresu got up, "Chi-Chi, do you want me to clear the table?"

"That would be great, dessert is in the kitchen!" the older woman stood up and began gathering plates, "Bra and Pan, we'll call you in a bit to help reset the table for dessert."

As Chi-Chi and Paresu began bringing the empty dishes into the kitchen, the Son matriarch gave her a pointed look, "Something is bothering you tonight. What's going on, dear?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Paresu scrambled to come up with an idea, "I've been wondering why Bra has been glaring at me all night."

"Hmm?" Chi-Chi looked outside the kitchen and noticed the bluenette, who had turned her attention to her cellphone. "She's had a crush on Goten for years. Poor girl is heartbroken about your upcoming marriage."

"I see," Paresu nodded, thankful that Chi-Chi didn't push her more.

"Don't worry, she'll move on to another boy soon." Chi-Chi smiled as she began finishing the plates, "Just like Trunks will move on too."

* * *

As Chi-Chi, Paresu, and Videl worked to clean up the dinner dishes, the rest of the Son and Briefs family moved to other spots in the living room. Vegeta had taken off back to Capsule Corporation, having felt that his presence at dinner was enough. Pan was filling in her father and uncle on the latest in her college applications, while Bra was sitting on a couch lazily scrolling on her phone. Trunks sat next to her, but didn't earn as much as a head nod in recognition.

"So how are you doing?" Trunks whispered so no one could hear them, "I know it must be tough to see your crush get engaged."

"Whatever," Bra mumbled, "That was some move you pulled at dinner. I thought Paresu was going to kill you."

"I wanted to kill me," Trunks massaged the palm of his hand, which still had the indents from her nails, "I didn't realize I said that outloud."

"Well you did," Bra sighed before looking at him, "So Goten doesn't know?"

"Goten doesn't know what?"

"That you and his fiance were banging until a month or two ago," Bra whispered harshly and Trunks shushed her. He inspected the room, but luckily no one had paid attention to the siblings.

"How did you know about that?"

"I was at the holiday party and saw you two leave together."

"Wait - you were at Marron's party?" Trunks hissed, "You're seventeen, what the hell were you doing there?"

"Relax, Marron's like a sister to me," Bra put her phone down, "I had someone drop me off and pick me off. I was safe and her friends know me. But yeah, you two weren't exactly discreet that night."

"Well it's done," Trunks leaned back against the couch, "So you can forget about it."

"Goten should know," Bra firmly whispered.

"Bra, I know you have a little crush on him," Trunks turned towards her and held out a finger to stop her talking, "But it'll destroy him. So if you really care, don't tell him."

The bluentte sighed as she eyed the dark-haired saiyan, who noticed her looking and waved at her, "Fine, but someone else will. You better be ready when it happens."

* * *

After dessert, Trunks went outside to catch some fresh air. It was the middle of winter and Mount Pazaou was covered in snow. The stars shone in the sky, easily visible from being so far from civilization. Trunks put his hands in his pockets and lifted his head, inhaling the clean mountain air.

Behind him, he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing behind him, before soft footsteps came towards him. He knew who it was without having to feel chi, "Hey 'Su."

"That was some stunt you pulled at dinner," her soft voice answered.

"I'm so sorry, it slipped out," Trunks turned towards her to see the brunette with her arms crossed, "I hope you're not too upset."

She shook her head and smiled at him, "Don't worry about it. That's not why I came outside.

Paresu licked her lips and looked towards the door to see if they were alone. Once she was reassured she took another step towards Trunks, "You asked me earlier today how I felt about you, and I really didn't answer you."

Trunks nodded, indicating that she should continue.

"Dende only knows I never planned on this. I never wanted this, but I can't run from my feelings Trunks. I owe you the truth, because you have been honest with me since the beginning."

Paresu took another step forward and grabbed Trunks hand, "I'm in love with you."

The lavender-haired prince froze. The words he wanted to hear most from her lips. He wanted to lean in and kiss her, never let go of her. The look in her eyes told him she wanted it too. He licked his lips, contemplating his next move before the diamond on her finger distracted him.

Paresu looked at him curiously before Trunks pulled his hand away, "We can't do this. You made your bed, and my best friend is in it."

Paresu looked at him hurt, "Trunks, I know you're hurt and confused. It's complicated."

"It's not that complicated. You picked him over me"

"Goten and I have years together," she emphasized by holding her arms out, "You and I had only a few months. But what I feel for you is real and I want you to know."

"Thank you, Mrs. Son. I appreciate your feelings, but it's too late."

"Trunks, please listen to me," Paresu urged, "You told me you loved me, and now I'm telling you how I feel. If you want this, if you want us, then tell me now."

He wanted nothing more than to embrace her. To hold her close and kiss her until the end of time. But as he looked at her, Trunks couldn't help but feel the pain he would cause his best friend. His family, Goten's family, her family… would they forgive them?

Trunks took a step towards her and whispered cooly, "Maybe it was just sex. Like Goten said, you were a good ride."

The brunette's mouth fell open, her palms trembling with the urge to slap him. She breathed deeply a few times before eyeing him coldly and calmly, "We're done then. I'll see you at the wedding."

Paresu turned on her heels and walked back to the house, her head held high. Trunks watched her walk away until she disappeared into the house.

He could still smell her perfume.

* * *

Shortly after dessert, Goten and Paresu returned to their apartment in West City, exhausted from the mountains of food and social gathering. As Paresu made the covers and climbed into bed, Goten teased her, "It was all fun tonight, but Trunks was kinda weird with you. It's like you two used to fuck."

Paresu forced a laugh, "Oh babe, that would be so weird."

"I mean, not really," he got under the covers and talked quietly to himself, "He's a good looking guy, you're gorgeous. You two were single at the same time…"

Paresu noticed her fiance getting quiet and moved to straddle his hips, distracting him from any other thoughts. "Oh Goten," she smiled softly at him and caressed his cheek, "I didn't cheat on you with Trunks."

"Promise?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She leaned in and kissed him, whispering as she pulled away, "I promise."

Goten nuzzled his face against her chest as she massaged his head, "Good. I don't know how I'd feel about you sneaking behind my back with my best friend."

"What if I did it in front of you?"

Goten pulled away from the warmth of her chest to raise an eyebrow, "You mean a threesome 'Su?"

"Why not? You said you always wanted one," she gave him a teasing smile.

"With another girl, it's every guys dream," Goten rubbed her back and thought for a moment, "I don't know if I could handle you fucking another man in front of me. Who would you wanna fuck?"

Thoughts of Trunks immediately entered her head, but the brunette shook them away. After their encounter earlier, she was not too eager to think of him, "No one in particular, you're more than enough for one woman."

"I like where your head's at," Goten grinned as he flipped over and began kissing her neck, "But enough for now. You're getting me worked up."

Goten hungrily kissed her and she kissed him back, wanting to feel loved.

* * *

Trunks sat with on the floor of Marron's living room, back leaned against the couch and drinking a beer as he watched her drop item after item into two large boxes. The blonde had texted him after the dinner at the Sons and urged him to come over and keep her company as she packaged her ex-boyfriend's items. For the last hour she had sorted through each belonging to decide what to toss and mail back.

"Do you think he'll want these?" Marron asked waving a few polaroid pictures of the couple during happier times. Trunks shook his head at her and pointed to the trash can in the corner. The young woman tossed the photos away before heading back to the bedroom to grab more items.

"Okay, this is gonna sound gross but what about his boxers?" she called out, "They seem kinda worn out, so maybe I could do the next girl a favor and toss them out?"

"I wouldn't, we like our hole-y, slightly stained, worn out boxers," Trunks teased as he stood up from the floor and followed her to the bedroom, "Is that everything yet? You would've thought he lived here from the amount of stuff!"

Marron huffed as she taped up the first box and lifted the second one on top. Trunks chuckled and watched her momentarily before taking the boxes from her and carried them out to the living room.

"Thank you for doing that," she sighed and collapsed on the couch, patting the seat beside her. Trunks picked up his beer and took a swig before joining her.

"You're welcome," he grinned at the blonde as she smiled brilliantly at him, "It'll be okay, Mar."

"Will it? I know I broke up with Gem, but I just want to love someone."

"Hey," he took her chin under his hand, "You're smart and beautiful, any guy would be lucky to have you."

The two stared at each other for a moment, studying each other's faces before mutually leaning in and kissing one another. The two pulled away, before leaning into for a second kiss, lasting only seconds before they burst into laughter.

"What the hell was that?" Marron wiped her mouth chuckling.

"I was curious! You're very pretty, Mar… but it was like kissing Bra," Trunks answered before bursting into a stronger fit of laughter. The two calmed down and caught their breath, with Trunks opening another beer.

"I got a kinda weird question for you, Mar."

"Shoot."

"Would you ever have a threesome?"

"With you? Hell no," She took one of the beers from the six pack Trunks brought and took a sip.

"Not with me! But with someone you loved… and their partner."

Marron eyed him carefully as she gulped her beer. Placing the can on the table, the blonde considered her answer, "If that person loved me too, then maybe. But I don't know if I could handle it. Seeing them with another person."

"Yeah I don't know if I could"

"Why are you asking?" Marron hesitantly asked.

"Just curious," Trunks shrugged and held out his beer, "What should we cheers to? Sex?"

In response the blonde held out her beer and clinked his.

* * *

 _Paresu opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the bright light. As she sat up and looked around, she took in the sight of the white sand and sound of the ocean waves. It was only when she noticed the mountains and capsule home behind her that she realized she was back on Mango Island._

" _Why am I here," she mumbled to herself. Paresu stood up and brushed off the sand from her legs and arms. She turned her head to look down and realized she was standing on a beach blanket, with various beach toys surrounding her feet._

" _Mommy, mommy!"_

 _The brunette turned to the sound of the voice and saw a young boy running towards her with a grin on his face. His beach hat and sunglasses obscured his eyes, but underneath the sunhat she could see chestnut hair that definitely reminded her of her own. Paresu leaned down and the boy ran into her arms giggling. As she picked him up and balanced him against her hip, the little boy pointing towards the water, "What is it kiddo?"_

The boy giggled, "Lookie! Daddy and sissy!"

 _Paresu looked towards where the boy was pointing and saw a man and an older girl playing in the water. The brunette smiled sadly to herself as they laughed and splashed each other, before turning to her and waving._

 _The little girl's eyes matched her own, while her braided lilac hair mirrored the hair of the smiling man beside her._

Paresu shot up from bed breathing heavily, clutching the bed sheets to her chest. As she caught her breath, she leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes in an effort to calm down. Tonight's dream was different than the others, but it was the same as well.

Her children, with the man she loved.

The man who was not sharing her bed.

Sighing, the brunette opened her eyes and stared at the softly snoring man beside her, running her hand through his dark thick hair and blinking back the hot tears in her eyes as she thought about the future lost.

 **End of Part I**

* * *

 **Author's Note 2:** I finally did it! The last scene came to me the other night where I was trying to think of ways for Paresu to come to terms with the decision she has made. In some ways, our dreams are the best therapy. As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, and possibly alluded to in others, I have the rest of the story outlined and can't way to build it out. As a quick note, I will be deleting Sick Day as I start Part II as it may contain spoilers for what I have in mind.


	25. Update!

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I posted an update! I've been writing the outline for ANIH Part II, but keep coming back to the first part of the story. Truth is, I'm not happy with how I wrote it and the tie ins to GT. Maybe it's because I've been watching Super, maybe it's because my writing wasn't that great and improved.

Either way, I'm thinking about rewriting ANIH with the following edits:

1) Less Paresu focused and instead expand upon all the characters and their lives / struggles

2) Not taking place during GT. Perhaps it will be in the Super universe with Paresu being the only character from GT to join, or just an AU in general.

3) Threesome scene (if it happens) would happen earlier and not be the build up of the story. Alternatively, I could write a one-shot instead of a threesome.

I'd love to hear what you all think and if there are other suggestions. I still have a lot of love for this story and think it could be told in a stronger way.


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